Gonsiéther
by Josie Gibbons
Summary: COMPLETED!Will and Lyra dream of each other, and Dawn dreams of the day she'll be married. how will these two stories come together to make one? read and find out.
1. Default Chapter

**Gonséither.**

Things look fairly bleak for Will and Lyra in their own worlds, but then Lyra discovers something that is likely to change that for them, the next step in her destiny.

Meanwhile in her own world Dawn's life is running amok and she is not put it lightly confused. Amazing fate and the discovery of the truth bring together these two stories. Please READ and REVIEW. I've been working on different parts of this for months (though only posting one chapter at a time unless requested otherwise), and it would be lovely to feel loved for once.

DISCLAIMER: I wish I owned HDM, its what I wish for when I see a shooting star, but unfortunately I've never actually seen a shooting star or any proof that wishes on them come true…so basically I don't own HDM cause it belongs to Philip Pullman (the genius that is).

Authors note: that thing about Dawn isn't in this chapter...but it is a main part of the story. It'll come in later

Chapter one; For the Lack of Care

How is it that no matter where we go we have friends, but we don't have anyone to whom we can tell everything, no person who is as much us as we are, no person to talk to and be understood by at any time of day or night. How is it that we cannot think of others but dwell on what we ourselves care for?

Lyra's world

"Why can't you come out on Mid Summers day? We could get lunch or something. Come on, it would be fun. You're always busy on Mid Summers. What is that big thing you must go and do in secret?"

"I'm sorry David, I just can't explain. It's something I must do, I will come out, but I just need to be somewhere between twelve and one. Any time after or before that I'd love to go out somewhere with you." The sixteen year old Lyra Silvertongue groaned in desperation as yet again her boyfriend failed to understand. "I need to do this Davie, it's like visiting your mothers grave on her anniversary or something, it's just something I have to do."

"But why can't you just blow it off, I'd blow off something stupid like that at the first chance I had."

"I know you would, I can see that, but I'm not like you in that way." he would never understand and she could see that now. Lyra had been going out with David Murphy for just over a year but the more time she spent with him the less like Will he seemed. That had been her reason for going out with him at first; until you got to know him he was like Will, but when you knew him at all well you could see that there were many things different. William Parry would never have asked questions about something he knew she didn't want to talk about but Davie was never done asking.

"Ah, come on Lyra, have a life why don't you. Every year you go off on your own for an hour on mid summers day, and you'll never tell me where you're going. Sometimes I feel you confide in that Dame Hannah more than me. You're always talking to her."

"You know that's not true, Dame Hannah is teaching me how to use the alethometer again, you know how important that is to me."

"Yea, I know. That alethometer thing means more to you than anything else. It's like it's your boyfriend, not me. You mean so much to me Lyra, but you don't seem to feel the same way about me at all. Every single year I plead with you not to go away you go on mid summer's day, every year you refuse. This is our second year going out and I haven't once seen you on mid summers, not even when we weren't going out together. I wish I knew where you go when you get off on your own. I wish I was as important to you as mid summers day is." Lyra sighed.

"Davie, I love you to bits but mid summer is special to me for a really important reason. If I didn't go then I would feel I was letting him down, I could never do that, not to him, not with what he means to me." Lyra suddenly realised what she had said and tried to pull it back but David had heard.

"You meet a man on mid summer? Is that your big secret?"

"Yes…No…Kind of…I don't know." She paused, and then continued, it was time to tell David a bit more of the truth about her past.

"He was someone I met on my travels, you know, the ones I've told you bits about. He was like a brother to me and I could never forget him." Here her story started to get a bit watery as she had never told David of the other worlds and didn't wish to now.

"He was killed in the north when I was travelling with him, he fell down a cliff and when we found his body he was too destroyed to return home. We buried him in the snow on Svalbard, near Iorick Briorson's palace. Ever since then I've gone away on my own on mid summers day so that I can think about him in silence. It was something we always agreed to do if anything happened to one of us, whether we were travelling together or not, and it helps to think that he's doing the same thing where-ever he is now, in whatever comes next." She drew to a halt and looked up to where David was sitting opposite her. Ten seconds later he was sitting beside her with his arms around her.

"Oh my Lyra, my little darling. I never knew, I'm so sorry. After you've gone on your own we can go and get lunch but I understand that you need to go away now."

Will's World

"Come on Lydia, it's not the end of the world. It's only one hour for one day. I'm sure you'll manage without me for that amount of time." The blond hared girl beside him nodded quietly. Like Lyra in her world Will had chosen to go out with someone who reminded him slightly of his lost love, and, like Lyra, he had been bitterly disappointed when he found out the truth. Lydia was sweet but she didn't have Lyra's heart or her passion. Lydia was loveable enough but she wasn't Lyra Silvertongue. No one could even nearly compare to Lyra.

"But why do you have to go?" Lydia asked, her small voice quivering slightly as it always did when she was near Will. He always made her nervous and she always felt small around him, but it was small in a good way.

"I told you didn't I?" he said kindly, feeling pity for the young girl who loved him so much, a love which he could never truly return. "Remember I said about my little sister that disappeared when she was only five? Where she went missing is too far away but every year on the day she went missing I go to a special place for her where I can be alone and remember her."

"What was her name?" Lydia asked. She already knew but loved hearing about the little sister that was so full of energy and had such a sweet voice that people called her Silvertongue.

"Her name was Lyra." Will lied. So far describing Lyra as his long lost sister had been the easiest thing to do when he was asked to discuss her. This way he didn't have to hide his love for the beautiful girl and her daemon that he and Kirjava would never see again. "She had golden brown hair which shined blond in the light and her eyes were as blue as the sea. She was the most beautiful little girl ever." As he spoke images of Lyra filled his head, her golden hair so close to his, her thin and beautiful fingers wrapping around his, the feel of her fingers touching him in places they shouldn't have. At the memory of her his eyes filled with tears, but luckily Lydia didn't understand the truth. She believed he missed his little sister with all his heart but she would never understand that Lyra was more than a little sister to him. If there was such thing as a soul mate then he was sure that she would be his. He and Lyra were made for each other, and while he and Lydia were good together it would never be the same. He would never in a million years let Lydia touch him like Lyra had. Those images were what made his memories of Lyra so special. Yes, he had promised her that he would love another, but he knew deep down that this would not be so. Not when Lyra was still out there, alive.

"Why won't you take me with you to meet Lyra?" Lydia asked. "I know you don't see her but it must feel like meeting her."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't. Not to Lyra. She knows where I go and that I'm there every year because I can feel it, but it would be wrong if I were to take anyone else with me. This is a time for a brother and a sister to be close to each other, no offence but it just wouldn't be the same if I had to share her with anyone else. This is something I have always done on my own, even though I was only eight when she disappeared. She was only three years younger than I was so she would be thirteen now, and ever since I lost her eight years ago I've needed to go back and say goodbye every year, I never even took our mother there."

"Times can change Will, I know it must be hard to let go but we're supposed to be able to trust each other with things, you know you can trust me not to tell anyone where it is you go."

"No, I don't think you understand. This is something I've been doing for half my life now. Eight years is a very long time, it's a habit that can't be changed so easily. There was only ever one day I missed, but that was because I was travelling and I went to the place she was last seen that day." Lydia slipped her arm around him and he hugged her back, not really paying attention to what he was doing. His eyes were filled with tears and his mind with the memories of the woman he would always love.

Thanks for reading the first chapter of Gonséither. Now all you've got to do is click on the little purple button on the corner of your screen to leave me a review. Even two words would be appreciated…ah come on, please, it only takes two seconds goes down on knees and begs


	2. Midsummers Dream

**DISCLAIMER: **If I was Philip Pullman then I wouldn't be sitting on me arse at me crappy computer writing this.

Authors note: 

When I came home from school today (where I do all my fanfiction posting) I had one review for chapter one of this. By the time I come back tomorrow I might have more or I might not but it doesn't bother me because what matters is that I've got at least one person out there reviewing for me. So long as I've got at least one review for a chapter I'll post the next (though more is always good.) Anyway, I've forgotten the name of the person who gave me the review on the last chapter because my memories shot but you know who you are. Hope you got the e-mail I sent you in thanks.

WARNING: THERE IS A REFERENCE TO SOMETHING LESS THAN INNOCENT IN THIS CHAPTER! WARNING! IF YOU DON'T APPRECIATE IT AVOID THE LITTLE SECTION IN THE MIDDLE OF LYRA'S SECTION. THIS IS ONLY A WARNING. PLEASE DO NOT STOP READING

Chapter two; Midsummer Dream

There is a place where everything is done in twos, there is no silence except the friendly silence of companionship, and there is nothing but the care between two work partners. How come we can't develop like this? I feel it is something that needs fixing, or at least changing for the better.

Lyra's world

"Thanks for understanding Davie. I know it must be hard but it's something I have to do for my friend." Lyra had never once used Will's name when she was talking to David, whenever he asked him she said it was too painful to talk about and he accepted that. Ever since their talk a week before when Lyra had told him a story to cover up her mid summers day escape David had been way more understanding. Well, he'd been understanding, but he'd also been slipping into her rooms during the night more often and had once tried to touch her breast, at which she had moved away his hand and stood up, saying something about being very tired and having a big test the next day. He had accepted this excuse, if not a bit unhappily, but Lyra could never have let him touch her there. No-where even slightly private was open to him. She belonged to Will and Will only, and that was the way she wanted to stay. While Will had doubts about them ever seeing each other again Lyra had no such doubts. They would meet again because it was part of her destiny as Eve. While Adam and Eve had been thrown out of paradise for eating the apple Will and Lyra had taken the other path and she was sure this would result in eternal happiness for both of them. Her memories of Will were precious, and she thought back fondly to that time so long ago when she and Will had realised they were in love, and had basked in their new-found realisation.

They were under the big tree, and the moon was out. Will reached out and took her hand in his, his other hand touching her stomach. She understood, and rested her hand on him. Then, as if in slow motion, she moved it down below his pant line. He didn't protest, but moved his own hand down along her hip bone, following the line of it to where it was lost below her skirt. He looked at her, and she nodded, knowing that it was what they both wanted. He moved his hand down below her skirt, exploring, touching, and finding his way. She made a small noise as he touched her down there, but didn't protest and he continued. She moved her hand away from his and unbuttoned his shorts, and he helped her. The moon went behind a cloud and all was dark.

Although faith in the church had pretty much evaporated since Metron had been destroyed and the authority died in the battle of the many worlds (as it had come to be known.) Lyra had faith in the more almighty powers that made the world turn round and placed all her trust in dust and the alethometer.

"I don't really understand why you need to do this but I suppose you have to. I'll pick you up at ten past one outside the Botanical garden and we'll spend the rest of the day together. That'll be fun and then maybe we can go bowling or something. Not that I understand why you say the Botanical Gardens, but it's your choice. If you want to meet in the middle of nowhere then I'm not going to argue."

"Hmm, maybe." Lyra replied. It was eleven o'clock on mid summer's day and she was preparing to go to the place she would sit with Will for the third year in a row. Her and Pan would sit there for the full hour as agreed and if Will was there then maybe they could share some simple words. It was possible if you really thought hard enough, as they had found on previous occasions. Although it took a huge effort to say more than a few words it was enough to say what they needed to.

Lyra arrived on the bench in the botanical garden at five to twelve after walking all the way from Jordan College on her own. She would never get to the garden any other way and she always took the rout her and Will had taken in his world that last day together, even though it meant walking past the gate to the garden and approaching it from the other side. She feared she was late or that he wasn't coming for the first few seconds after she arrived, but as she looked at her watch to check the time (two minutes to twelve) she felt his comforting presence with her. Pan came up beside her and laid his pine marten head on her knee and she stroked his fir gently.

"He's here, I can feel him."

_Me too, her I mean._

"Can you sense her when we're not here? I feel you sometimes know more about her than you tell."

_I can sometimes, if I need her enough, when I need to talk to her she's always there for me. We're lucky; not many can converse with one in another world. Even to daemons it is unusual but it is a talent we are proud of._

"Does she tell you how Will is? Does he think off me?"

_Lyra, you know the answer to that question without even needing to ask. She says he misses you with all his heart. He has found another but he doesn't really love her. His heart and hers will always belong to us._

"And ours to them. You've seen the way me and Will try to contact each other when we're here. Even the slightest of words is enough, but it's not enough at the same time."

_I can see that, and Kirjava sees the same thing in Will. Both of you feel a huge amount of pain when you try to converse and we as your daemons feel it too. That's why we spoke with the Angels. They have agreed to bend the rules so that you and Will shall be able to talk today, but on one condition and one condition only._

"What condition?" Lyra asked, her voice filled with hope. "Does Will know too?"

_Even as we speak Kirjava is telling Will the same thing in their world. You and Will shall be able to talk from here on mid summers day but there is one thing you must remember before you take the first step and talk together for the first time._

"Go on."

_From the second you and Will first speak to each other you will be bound by the powers of the universe. Talking to each other now will unleash a destiny that will be hard but easy and rewarding at the same time._

"What will it be? Nothing could be worse than not being able to talk to him!" Lyra tried desperately hide the excitement in her voice, but she needn't have bothered, from the second he had spoke of contacting Will Pantalaimon had felt her hope and love for Will pouring off her.

_I know, and that is why both Kirjava and me promised the angels that you would help them. You will have to go to Farder Coram, John Faa and the other Gyptians so you can collect the knife Gonséither, the dust maker, and use it to find a world in which you and Will can live together in harmony. The Gyptians have kept Gonséither for you for long enough, it is time we took it from their care. Will shall have to re-forge the Subtle Knife and learn to use it without unleashing the Spectres; we will have no such problems because Gonséither is made of pure good._

"But we will return to Will and Kirjava?"

_Yes. But there will be one more catch_

"What?"

_once you and Will are united both knifes will break, they will be useless after their destiny is fulfilled. Do you accept this fate Lyra._

"You know I do, will you show me how to contact Will?"

_Yes_

"Then what are we waiting for. How can I contact Will?"

Will's World

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? You know I'll come with you if you want me too."

"Yea, I know. But I just can't let you come. I'm sorry, I really am. I need to do this for Lyra, and who knows, maybe today will be the day she comes."

"You don't honestly believe she will do you?" Lydia smiled at Will awkwardly, not expecting the reply that came.

"Yes." He replied simply. Lydia looked at him questioningly and Will elaborated

"She will come because we're connected. If she is still alive then she'll come some time and I know she's still alive because I would feel it if she wasn't, well, you know, if she'd gone on to the, to what comes next." Hiding his knowledge of the afterlife and what came next was a constant pain to Will but he would never admit to what had really happened, not to anyone but Mary Malone, who Will still saw a lot of.

"Anyway, you do take someone else with you. I've seen you before, walking with that Mary Malone woman one day just before twelve on mid summer's day. You can't say that you let her come with you and not me."

"No, Mary doesn't come with me. She's my auntie and she loved Lyra with all her heart so we come together often to talk about her and what a great loss it is. Mary knows where I go on mid summer but she never asks to come with me. She understands that this is a time for me and Lyra to be close even if we aren't really. I would be lost without Mary but she doesn't come with me."

"It always looks like she does. Where can you leave her that she's not in the middle of know-where when you go off on your own? Wouldn't she get lost?"

"Mary might not seem like a city person to you but when I first started being close to her, when I was thirteen, she was living here in the centre of Oxford. She only got the house in the suburbs when she couldn't cope with the city anymore. She lost a close friend in the area where we lost Lyra, because when she went back a few years later her friend wasn't there anymore. She was really sad over it but the people there told her that she had died happy and that was what mattered. Mary loved that friend to pieces and I think it was as much loosing her as loosing Lyra that upset her and caused her to move. This person was Mary's best friend, and they were like sisters. The Mary you know is nothing like the old Mary." With that Will turned and left the coffee shop, stopping at the door to wave to Lydia.

"See you later yea."

"Yea, see you Will." with that he turned and set off, walking towards the Botanical Gardens where he knew Lyra would be waiting for him on the little stone bench hidden from view by the large trees.

"Can you feel her? She's here isn't she!"

_Yes, she's here; her and Pantalaimon were waiting for us when we arrived. _

"You sensed them too?"

_I always sense Pan. We converse on a regular basis._

"And you never told me?"

_There was never any need. Until today, when we decided to tell you of the final part of your destiny, of Lyra's destiny as Eve, and yours as the chosen Adam._

"There's more to come? Oh, I don't know. I guess I hoped we wouldn't have to go through anymore pain."

_There will be pain, but there will be joy too. Will this is our final chance. The angels are letting us go back to Lyra and Pan, but we must do one more thing for them before we can._

"What, how could I see Lyra again? What would it take?"

_You must re-forge the subtle knife and use it to find your way to a world you can both live in harmony, but first you must talk to Lyra. She has a mission in this too, she must find Gonséither, the dust maker, and she must use it to destroy all and any spectres that come from us using the knife._

"Gonséither? This sounds a bit unreal to me. How can there be more than one Subtle Knife?"

_Gonséither is no less or more real than the subtle knife. Each of them is special in their own little way, we are the bearers of the subtle knife and they are the bearers of Gonséither. That is the way things were meant to be from the start._

"I understand." Will spoke calmly although his heart was jumping with the joy of the chance to talk to Lyra again. "How do I talk to Lyra?"

_Chapter two done, and thanks again to all and any of you who reviewed the first chapter. You know what to do now, don't you? There's a little purple button to the corner of your screen which should say 'submit review'. Please click it and leave me a nice little note, though Flames are also welcome as it helps me to get my act together. Thanks again to my loyal fans (! I have fans!). love and peace as always, Stargazing Maiden. _


	3. Sunset Conversation

**Disclaimer: **my names Philip Pullman and that's why I'm sitting at my useless computer and moving my documents to the school computers so I can post up crappy fan fictions about my own work. Oh come on, like that's not obvious.

**Authors note: **This chapter is small and crappy and short and nothing and I didn't really put Lyra and Wills' conversation into it cause I can't write that type of thing for any money and fanfiction doesn't pay for the stories I spend my valuable time writing.

Chapter three; Sunset Conversation

The relationship between two lovers is the relationship we should strive for in everyday life. The complex feelings of two people joined together as one is the single most amazing gift given to humans at the beginning of creation.

Botanical Garden

Lyra

_Talking to Will won't be easy._ Pantalaimon explained.

_It takes a lot of skill and will power to talk to someone in another world. In a way it's a type of moving between the worlds, but it's not moving at the same time. _

"I understand." Lyra whispered, but Pan could tell she didn't really; it was what made them human and daemon.

_Please don't lie to me Lyra, I know it's confusing but you've got to bear with me. When the angels tried to explain to us it was even harder._

"I guess it must have been really. Angels are always very confusing, aren't they?"

_Only some, but it doesn't really make much difference. The fact is you and Will must be thinking about each other hard enough and putting all your love for each other into your thoughts before you can talk. You won't be able to touch each other or make any contact other than speaking but your memories and thoughts will serve to show you the others movements._

Lyra nodded, and rested her head back on the stone of the bench, letting her thought of Will envelop her completely.

Will

_Think about her. Go on; think about her with all our combined love. I promise if you do that you'll be able to speak to her and see her._

"Really? I'm going to be able to see her?"

_Yes, but you won't be able to touch her and she won't be able to touch you. Any physical contact will break the connection between you will result in you not being able to talk again for another year._

"But why?" Will asked. "The only thing I want to do is to hold her in my arms and tell her everything. How can I bare to talk to her and not touch her at the same time?"

_I know it will be hard, but it is something that must be done if you wish to talk to her again. Don't fret Will, this is only a temporary situation, if our mission is successful then we will soon meet again. And then it won't be in this way; it will be really meeting, when we will be able to live together forever._

"You really mean that, don't you."

_Yes, I couldn't lie to you Will._ Will smiled at the daemon sitting beside him.

"We'll tell them, won't we?"

_Yes, but not now. The time isn't right. We will speak about it when we are ready and they will speak about things when they are ready. Contact her Will; this is your only chance._

Will lay his head on the bench and thought about Lyra, letting the memories of her fill his senses, his thought, his smell, his eyes, everything in his brain was a mass of memories of the girl turned woman he would always love.

_Like I warned you, this chapter is short and crappy, with nothing going on and a no-where plot (reminds me of the first two chapters really). Anyway, if I've got this far with posting this up then in means that my reviewers are obviously great and I'm feeling good about my work. Thanks for your help, but now it's that time of day again, click on the little button in the corner and review for me. Thanks again. As always, a very grateful crazy person, Stargazing Maiden. _


	4. Loving Lust

Well I've decided that this will probably not get taken any further than this chapter but I had this one written already and I thought I'd stick it up with this authors note. Basically although people kept giving me reviews I read through the full version of this and it's crap. I know it's the same as everything else and I don't want to disappoint. Anyone who still wants more to this can get to me by e-mail at the address i've got posted up on my profile page. sorry if i've dissapointed anyone...i didn't mean too.

Chapter four; Loving Lust

Lust? Love? I find that it is lust that finds itself most common in this day and age. For the meaning of love has been lost over the years, and from it being a feeling of special significance there is now no-one who cannot claim to have experienced love, but very few who have experienced love to its extent. You say you've felt love, but have you really?

Lyra's world

"Did you have fun then?" David asked, and Lyra nodded.

"It was good, but I'd hardly call it fun. I felt a lot closer to him today than I've felt since he died." She smiled, thinking back to the memory of her and Will's brief conversation. There hadn't been much they could really say, but they had said it all anyway. All about how they were working on the republic in their own individual worlds, and then about their travels together, and then, finally, about Gonséither, the subtle knife and the prospect of leaving their homes and seeing each other again. They never spoke of Lydia or of David.

"I'm glad, but I still wish you would let me go with you."

"I know, but this is a time for me and Pan. If we could take anyone else with us then we would." David nodded.

"I've never seen anyone with such a strange connection to their daemons as you." David spoke, the thought entering his head at the mention of the Pine Martin that was Lyra's daemon. "Its like sometimes you are the closest I've ever seen anyone, but you both seem to have secrets from each other, or he has secrets from you anyway."

"I don't see why he shouldn't. We're both people, just because we're part of a whole doesn't mean that we can't keep secrets from each other." David was very close to his daemon, they wouldn't have even thought about keeping secrets from each other.

"Claskinda never keeps secrets from me." David explained. "We're the same person so she doesn't feel we should have to keep secrets. It's not like one of us has ever done something the other hasn't seen." The brown cat beside him nodded her head gently, but didn't speak. She was unsettled, but David was sure she would stay as the brown cat she loved being so much. Lyra had never once heard Claskinda speak, but she assumed she could speak without even asking. There was no such thing as a daemon that couldn't speak.

"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Lyra asked, changing the subject before it moved onto an area she didn't want to discuss.

"I don't know, China's maybe." David suggested, and Lyra knew that was where they would go. Once David got it into his head to go somewhere then that was the end of the story, they were going there. Unfortunately his favourite place at the moment was a large coffeehouse on the edge of the posh side of Oxford, nowhere near Jerico or anywhere Lyra's friends were likely to be.

"Hmm, China's sound good." Lyra murmured. How was she supposed to tell David about her decision to leave Oxford? It would have to come out, and it would be easier to tell him in an environment he liked.

They crossed the busy high street and walked along to the coffeehouse in silence. When they were seated Lyra spoke gently.

"I'm going away next week, Davie. I'm going to go looking for Ma Costa and Billy tomorrow and go with them on their boat." David looked up from his coffee, not really taking much notice of what Lyra was saying. She regularly took some time off to go and stay with her Gyptian friends.

"Oh, how long are you going to be?" He asked, his voice perfectly calm, confidant that it would be only a week at the most.

"I don't know, I need to talk to Farder and John about something…"

"Good. It won't take long then. Maybe after today you'll grow out of these friends of yours and start to settle down as a proper young lady. I'm sure it's not right for someone like you to go running off with the Gyptian families all the time. What will people think of you!" Lyra looked at him with disgust.

"I will never _grow out _of my friends. How can you possibly suggest something like that? They're my friends David; I don't think anything could ever change that. Anyway, I don't know if this will be only a short while. I have to decide on something while I'm away. Farder Coram will help me, and when I've made my decision I'll send word."

"So you're leaving me? Is that it?"

"Yes…No…In a way…I don't know…Pan, can you explain to him. I don't think I'm able to." Pantalaimon nodded his head.

_We don't want to leave you, but we feel we must. We've told you of some of our travels, and this is another case of them. We've always trusted our instincts, and our instincts are telling us to go to Farder Coram and ask for his help. He was like a father to us. All the time we were travelling he was there for us with his daemon, until we got separated and lost our friend on the ice by Svalbard. It was a case of bad luck that we were separated but that doesn't stop us loving him with all our hearts. Please don't hold it against us that we have to go away, its something that we feel we need to do even if we don't really want to._

David looked at the Girl and her Daemon sitting opposite him, and then gave in.

"Okay, but I need you to send word as soon as you know what's happening, promise you'll do that?"

"We promise."

Will's World

"So you understand then? It's not our decision, it's something I have to do."

"Yes, I understand. I think so anyway. You need to go away and find your sister, and you don't want me to go with you."

"It's not that. It's just, well; I don't want you to go through the hardship I went through when I lost Lyra. It will be dangerous, and I don't think you'd like where I'm going anyway."

"Did you ever ask me? I don't think so. You just assumed I wouldn't want to go." Her voice was quiet and made Will fume. Sometimes he just wished she would flip out. Life would be a lot easier if she did, because then the air could be cleared and they would be able to talk easier again.

"I can't ask you, it's just hard for me okay. Today, well, I found some news about my sister. She might still be alive, and I've got to go and find her."

"So take me with you."

"I can't, I just can't. Lyra and me need to be reunited, but we need to be reunited privately. It's not something I can take someone else too; this is the sister I haven't seen since I was eight. Part of me feels I don't even know her anymore."

"Of course you know her, she's your sister. Hey, I'm sure you won't be long. I'll meet you when you've been gone for a week and we can catch up. Maybe you'll have found her by then and you can introduce me."

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe I will, but where I've got to go is going to be hard. There won't be any planes or trains or even roads. I'll be out in the middle of no-where looking for her. It might be a bit hard for you to get to me."

"Are you just saying that to avoid me?" Lydia asked, her voice filled with hurt.

"No." Will replied. "I'm doing this because I don't want to see you hurt. I've got to go and you can't stop me. I'm sorry Lydia, I promise I'll write to you and tell you how things are."

"When are you leaving? I'm sure it won't be for too long you're going away, we'll meet up again soon."

"I'm going next week, I don't know when I'll see you again, because this could take either weeks or years, I don't have any idea how long I'll be. Maybe with luck I'll find Lyra soon and we'll be able to see each other again, or maybe it will take a long time to find her and I wont see you for ages. And then there's that Lyra might not want to come back here. I'm sorry Lydia. I just couldn't leave her after finding her again. I'll try and come back here after, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it."

"So you're definitely leaving then, you don't care about me at all and you're going off on some made up trip so you can get away from me without me feeling bad? Is that it?"

"No, I just need to see Lyra again. I do love you, but it's not the same as my love for Lyra. You have a sister, you know how it is."

"Yea, but I'd trade both my sisters and my brother for you Will. They mean a lot to me, but not half as much as you do." Will looked at her, disgusted by what he had just heard her say.

"You stupid cow!" He screamed. "How _dare_ you say that type of thing about your family! You don't know what it's like not to have someone who you can talk to, someone close like a family; you will _never_ understand the pain of loosing your sister! Get over it will you, I don't want to leave my friends here, not you, Mary or anyone else, but I need to find Lyra and all you can do is try and guilt me out by saying that I'm more important than your family. I'm sorry Lydia, but I was obviously wrong. You don't understand the meaning of family, so maybe we're not right for each other." Lydia went to speak, but Will stopped her.

"No, I'm not listening to you. I'm leaving next week and you can't stop me. Maybe I'll see you before I go, maybe I won't, but all I know is that before I want to see you again you're going to have to learn the meaning of family." With that he turned and walked out of the café they were sitting in, slamming the door. Behind him on the seat Lydia Andrews put her head in her hands and wept, she had loved William Parry but he had never felt the same way to her. His heart had always belonged to someone else.

_Yet again, this is going to stop now because it's crap. There are more chapters, but only if people want them. This is useless and I'm ashamed of it so sorry for wasting your time by making you read it._

_The author would like to apologise for all the pain she put people through when they thought this might actually develop into something, she hates to disappoint but the rest of Gonséither was even crapier than chapter one through four. Please forgive me for writing this crap, hopefully you won't judge the rest of my writing on what you've just read through. Love and peace as always, Stargazing Maiden._


	5. For You

Many thanks for all the feedback I got from the last chapter telling me that I needed to continue, and even more thanks to that special person who bothered to get back to me at my e-mail address. It felt great to get your support and it was mostly getting your message which made me decide to post this story anyway. 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own either of the songs in this chapter. They belong to GreenDay (Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) from Nimrod Album) and Westlife (Close Your Eyes, Coast to Coast album). I hope this fulfils as an adequate disclaimer. Neither do I own Will, Lyra or the related characters.

Chapter five; For you

There is no you. There is just us. There is no me, just us and the feelings we share. This is how love should be, and this is what we have lost in the many years since the meaning of the word has been lost. This is for you, my darling, though you will possibly not remember me. Do you remember me, my love, or am I just another of the nothings to pass behind you?

Lyra's world

"Goodbye Davie." Lyra whispered up to the curtained window. "I'll always love you but not in the way you think. My heart will always belong to someone else." With that she turned away from his home and the area she had grown to love and walked slowly down the street to Jerico where she knew Billy would be waiting with his mother and brothers to take her to visit Farder Coram and John Faa. If the Gyptians were minding the knife for her than her once guardians would know where to look. Before she left she paused, then bent down and took a page of paper and a pen out. Sitting on the pavement below his window she began her letter.

Dearest David,

I'm sorry, but I have had to go. It might not take long, what I have to go and do, but I would hate to destroy your life by the hope that I'm going to come back. This is my final goodbye to you, because I know I'm not going to return to Oxford again for a very long time if at all. I loved you to bits Davie, but it wasn't in the way you wanted me to. My heart will always belong to the boy I told you about before, whose name I never told you was Will Parry. He was my true love and I could never love another like I loved him. I'm sorry I had to lie to you; I would have hated you to be jealous of someone I was sure I would never see again. Now the chance has come for me and Will to be reunited, I'm sure you will understand why I have to go. I will always love you, but you will always be no more or less than a brother to me. Love from: Lyra and Pantalaimon.

She turned, left the letter folded on the doorstep and headed out towards Dame Hannah's residence a few blocks away in another part of Oxford. When she reached the Dames door Lyra knocked twice and at once Dame Hannah came to the door and opened it.

"Lyra darling! Come in do. You're up very early for a day like today." She looked up at the overcast sky, down at Lyra, then at Pan, and understood at once.

"Oh, I take it its time then?"

"Yes."

"Well, I won't lie to you Lyra. I've known this day was coming for a very long time. Ever since you came home three years ago and told us of young William Parry. I think the master doubted your story at first, but after checking the facts with Serifina Peccala he believed you completely. I expect you will be seeing the witch queen while travelling?"

"In the ideal world then yes, we would greatly wish to go north, but I'm not sure would it be possible with the way things are at the moment."

"And why not? Why shouldn't you go and see your friend while you're travelling? I might not know much about the world, but I do know one thing, and this mission you've been sent on now isn't for any reason but to give you a chance to see all your old friends again. The angels and the powers of the universes work in weird ways but I think this is their way of saying thank you."

"So you're saying that I should go and stay with the witches or with Iorick Briorson? Well, I suppose I could, but I'm not sure."

"There will be no need to go and stay with them. I know what you're doing next; I spoke to Ma Costa about it myself, and don't worry. When you reach the lands of the Gyptians you will find both Serifina and Iorick waiting for you. Both of them wish to see the child they love so much now she has grown into a woman, and I'm sure they will be as amazed as I was when they see how much you really have grown."

"Oh thank you Dame Hannah. Thank you so much." Lyra got up to leave and wrapped her arms around the old lady. "I will never be able to thank you enough."

"You don't need to thank me Lyra, you'll be fine. Anyway, I've something for you before you leave, if you promise not to thank me." She grinned toothily at Lyra, and then went to the bookshelf.

"These are the books on the alethometer." She said, handing Lyra a stack of worn hardbacks, "And this is a book on the many worlds and the ways of the universe, the basis of which was put together by your father Lord Asriel before he died. The rest is an adaptation of the information I got from your stories and from Serifina Peccala and the Gyptians who travelled into the other worlds either to protect you or to bring you home when you said goodbye to Will." She smiled gently as she handed Lyra a brand-new book covered in brown leather. "I think this should be yours now, most of the information is your story, I have another less well made copy but this is for you."

"Thanks." Lyra smiled as she opened the door and stepped into the cold. "I'll treasure them always Dame Hannah, and I'll never forget you." she called as her and Pan walked out into the street, pan urging her to hurry.

_Lyra, come on. Billy said they wouldn't be able to wait long after the tide. We've kept them waiting for so long; we can't keep them any longer._

"I know. I'm coming. It's hard to say goodbye Pan; he's been so much to us since we came back. I nearly feel bad to be leaving him like this.

_It's worthwhile though, I know it is. Imagine, once we've found the knife we can talk to Will and Kirjava again, only without the effort. Won't that be amazing!_

"Yea. I guess so." Lyra said after a long pause, then. "How long do you think it will take though?" they were walking along the side of the river, heading by this time, heading towards the bend they knew hid the Costa's boat from view.

_No-body knows how long their trip will take, because who can tell what lies beyond the horizon. Could it be riches, could it be jewels, or could it be the one we love, the most precious of them all. _Pantalaimon sang, and Lyra couldn't help buy join in, singing the words to a song she had once heard played in Wills world and one she had loved from the first time she heard it. Her voice filled the air around them with its sweet sound and all across the worlds a breeze rustled through the trees, sending the melody of the song across more universes than it was possible to count.

"Tomorrow morning I have to leave,

But wherever I many be

Best believe I'm thinking of you,

Can't believe how much I love you.

All we have is here tonight

We don't want to waist this time

Give me something to remember

Baby put your lips on mine

And I'll love you forever

Anytime that we find ourselves apart

Just close your eyes

And you'll be here with me

Just look to your heart

And that's where I'll be

If you just close your eyes

Till you're drifting away

You'll never be too far from me

If you close your eyes.

I know I'm gonna see you again

But promise me that you won't forget

Cause as long as you remember

A part of us will be together

So even when you're fast asleep

Look for me inside your dreams

Keep believing in what we're sharing

And even when I'm not there to

Tell you"

As Lyra's song drew to a close all the universes drew in a breath while they waited for the new Eve to sing the final line of a song that would change the way the world thought about such things, if only she was able to see it. She sang the fatal line, slightly hesitantly, putting all her feeling into it; and Wills world and all the others who had heard the magic let out a huge sigh. There was nothing so beautiful or tear wrenching as hearing a young girl with all the power in the universe sing about the depth of her feelings.

"I'll, I'll love, love you forever." She sang, and the universes relaxed after the tension that had filled them while she sang. In another world, somewhere in the deep unknown of the European outback a young girl woke up from her sleep and realised she was in love, and that she must tell the boy how she felt…

Will's World

Will heard a noise he thought he recognised and looked around, but it was nothing. Just a whisper in the trees, that was all. But no, he heard it again, and all the trees around him in the wooded avenue began to shudder, as if some huge force was drifting through them. The sound came again, louder this time,

"If you just close your eyes" the voice sang, and Will's heart jumped and missed a beat, causing him to go momentarily dizzy. "Till you're drifting away" the song continued, and Will was forced to sit down on the pavement. It wasn't that it was unusual to hear that song sung; it was a popular song and one that was often sung by girls and boys of all ages. The strange thing was, Will had heard nothing sung in that voice for years, and as the memory of the days he and Lyra had spent in his world came flooding back to him he remembered her hearing that song. He listened intently as she sang the last few lines, and then turned and walked back the way he had come. He would have to say goodbye to Lydia, he couldn't just walk out on her like he had planned. Not after hearing Lyra's song anyway, because now he had heard her singing he was sure there had been another in her life too. Maybe she didn't love this person as much as she loved him (She would have told him if she had, or Pan would have told Kirjava) but she wasn't spiteful enough to go away without saying goodbye. Maybe she was crying over him now she had finally decided to go. Or maybe she was happy?

They had decided between them when they would leave. It would be exactly a week after they had spoken, and at that time they would both set out whether they were ready or not.

Will reached into his pocket and pulled out a rough crumpled piece of paper, not realising that this was exactly the way Lyra had said goodbye to David in her world.

Dear Lydia,

I'm sorry we had a row before I left, I guess I should have been more understanding of your feelings but I was only thinking of getting away from here and travelling again. I suppose in a way I do wish I could take you with me, but I just don't think it would be right. You would feel uncomfortable with Lyra because she's so different to you. I'm sorry I lied about her too; it was because I couldn't bear to tell you the truth in case you hated me for it. Lyra was my girlfriend who I lost when we were travelling together three years ago, Mary knew her too and that was why we come together to talk about things. Mary was with me when I said goodbye to Lyra for the last time and Lyra asked Mary to look out for me and me to look out for her, which is what makes us seem so close. There are some bonds that can't be broken, and Lyra's wishes are one of those bonds. If you need to find out the truth then I would say talk to Mary Malone, she knows about what's going on and you can trust her to tell you the truth with as much as she will tell you. Look after yourself, I'll always love you but only like a little sister. Love, William Parry.

He pinned it to her door and walked away, not stopping until he reached Mary's home in the suburbs.

"Will, hi!" she smiled as she opened the door. "How're you, it's been ages since you came to visit me."

"I'm fine. Going to see Lyra today, was wondering if you want to come too."

"Well, I'd love too." The young woman smiled. "But won't you and Lyra want to be together on your own instead?"

"No, I think she would want you to come too. But it's going to be hard, and I'm going to need help. I've got to re-forge the subtle knife."

"Oh." Mary's tone, normally so light, was suddenly serious. "I never thought of the difficulties of getting back to Lyra and Pan. Obviously I'll help you while I can, but I'm not up for going too far away from home. I'm tired of travelling by now."

"Yea, I know. So am I, but I feel I've got to get back to Lyra really. Especially now the Angels have said its possible. I need to go to Lyra, but first I must re-forge the knife."

"I know. I will help you, I've said that already Will, but what I can do to help you and Lyra is bare minimum. I've been given my part in your destiny too, you know. I was the serpent and now I'm going to be the one to help you a small bit on your way."

"So you'll come with me then?"

"I'll come with you to get the knife forged, but that's It." with that Mary took the bag she had waiting by the door (because of course the Angels had spoken to her too) and the two friends walked away into the gathering dawn. As they walked away Will found himself singing one of his favourite songs and soon Mary was joining in and singing along with the words that where so familiar to them both.

'Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road

Time grabs you by the wrist directs you where to go

So make the best of this test and don't as why

It's not a question but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable but in the end is right,

I hope you have the time of your life.

So take the photographs the still frames in your mind

Hang them on a shelf of good heath and good time

Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial

For what it's worth it was worth all the while

It's something unpredictable but in the end is right

I hope you have the time of your life

It's something unpredictable but in the end is right

I hope you have the time of your life

It's something unpredictable but in the end is right

I hope you have the time of your life.

Recognise the songs? The first is an extract from 'Close Your Eyes' by Westlife (Coast to Coast album); a song I thought reflected the mood of this chapter just about right. The second is 'Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)' by GreenDay (Nimrod Album) cause I love that song and I reckon it reflects the way Will hopes that travelling will lead him back to Lyra and the 'Time of His Life'. Or something like that anyway. Least that's what I'm saying cause I love it. GreenDay and Will/Lyra fluff forever. Anyway, all reviews (flames inclusive) appreciated as always, love and peace, Stargazing Maiden.

Concerning the last chapter: when I posted that it was six months after one of my really close friends had died. I miss him every day and I think it was just the stress of realising how long it's been that got to me and made me think that this story was crap. From all the feedback I've got I assume I made a mistake. I know I sound and sounded like a complete moaner and I'm sorry. Anyway, thanks for everything. Sam xxx


	6. Keep Moving

Hey, I'm back, but unfortunately I've just realised that I only have twenty-one school days before my exams so unless I can find some way of having internet access after then there might not be any updates for a long while. I can get on from the library but they don't have word or anything like that so I don't think I'd be able to use a floppy either…maybe if I get a part time job there like I've planned. My answer to that is simple though…I upload everything I have done to my document manager now so that when it comes to the summer I'll still have loads that I can be posting from public computers. 

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters. The only people I own are David and Lydia.

Anyway, on with the story, hope you didn't mind me being boring and thanks again to my darling reviewer who always replies to my thanks e-mails. YAY!

Chapter six; Keep Moving

In this world we find ourselves constantly moving…on and on from place to place, never finding time to stop. I look and I see love pass us by like this. We, as a people, move from one lover to the next, not noticing and letting it slip by when the person who truly loves us comes a knocking. Is this the answer? Should we really keep moving?

Lyra's world

"Lyra, there you are. We were getting worried about you!" the voice called out, and Lyra ran over to her good friend and hugged him tightly.

"You never missed me, you're just saying that to be sweet! But I missed you too Billy. It's been how long now?"

"About a year and a half, since you last came and stayed with us and I saw you briefly, before that dust knows how long." Lyra smiled at him.

"You're still changing any mention of God to Dust now then?"

"Yep! I mean, if there's no god then I'd prefer to worship the one thing in this universe what doesn't tell lies."

"Thanks Billy, that's so sweet, but you shouldn't worship me. I'm not worth all that." Billy pucked her arm gently.

"Who said I was worshipping you huh? Unless my memory has totally messed up on me you never used to be so truthful. You didn't even tell the truth on Bolvanger when you changed your name. Remember?" Lyra grinned sheepishly.

"Yea, well. I'd prefer if we didn't talk about that place. I still can't forget that kid, what was his name, who lost his daemon."

"Tony?"

"Yea, and Roger. I'll never forget Roger. I miss him so much."

"I know." Billy sighed. "The world is a lot worse place since Roger died. I think we all miss him, but I'm sure you miss him the most. You two were like brother and sister; it must have killed you when he died. I just wish I knew the truth about the whole thing."

"No, you don't. The truth is too horrible to think about, but I'm still alive. I just want to know how all the little urchins know about it."

"Oh, come on Lyra. News gets around, and these are Oxford urchins. As far as we know what they heard could just be the roomers of the street!"

"I know." Lyra grinned at her friend again, and looked up as she heard Billy's mother calling them.

"Come on Lyra, Billy. I thought you two have more sense than to sit around with the tide rushing out!" she yelled from the boat, and both Billy and Lyra turned round and ran up onto the deck.

"Come on Lyra! Lay a hand!" Billy's big brother John called, and Lyra happily set to work with the sails, checking that everything was working properly so they could set out along the river and eventually to the land of the Gyptians.

"So why exactly are you coming with us today?" John asked a few hours later. He was the only of Billy's brothers to stay on in their mother's boat, and she respected him for that.

"I'm just getting out of Oxford, I don't know what's coming next. I spoke to Dame Hannah this morning before I left and she says that Serifina and Iorick will be waiting for me. I can hardly wait to see them again, the past three years have been so long!"

"That Dame Hannah is a good one." Ma Costa joined in. "You couldn't have landed a better teacher than her. John Faa's after saying on numerous occasions that he couldn't have wished for a better teacher for you, minus himself of course."

"Naturally! That man might be a genius but he pulls it over too much. As far as I'm concerned the only one of us even nearly good enough to be her teacher would be Farder Coram, and everyone knows the only thing he's bothered with now is Lyra and her destiny." John turned to her. "Lyra, I don't know have they told you yet, but there's another part of your destiny to come. Serifina Peccala came to us before we came up to Oxford this time; she said that the final part of your destiny is starting soon. She wouldn't tell us what it would involve."

Lyra smiled awkwardly. "I know what it involves. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not yet, but I'm going to do it because it's part of my destiny. Me and Will both have a part in this, and by the end of it we will hopefully be reunited."

"You're sure about this?" Billy asked, his voice filled with concern. "It might not be a completely sound plan. I mean, I know the angels are your friends, but are they really completely trustworthy? Don't forget that they were once in league with Metron!"

"I haven't forgotten, but I just can't help remembering Balthemos and his brother. They were true angels and if there was more like them then I would have no quavers in trusting them." She reached up and pulled on a rope above her head, directing the riverboat down one of the narrow canals and on towards the land of the Gyptians and the Dahl where she knew John Faa and Farder Coram would be waiting for her.

Will's World

"You're ready then Will?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure this is what you really want to do. No-body will think any worse for you if you change your mind, it's your life after all."

"I know, but I want to do this. This is as much for Lyra as for me."

"I understand. You and Lyra had a special little connection." She turned round as a voice called behind them.

"Will, Wait! We need to talk!" he turned slowly on the spot and watched as Lydia drew closer along the street.

"What do you want?" he asked, barely hiding the anger in his voice. "I thought I told you everything? Don't you get it huh, I want to get out of this place and be alone. I can't cope with it anymore, I need to find Lyra."

"So what's _she_ doing with you." Lydia hissed, her voice seething with anger. "Don't try and fool me, Will Parry. I know what you're like, but why you just didn't _tell_ me you had a thing going with Miss _Malone_ here I don't know!"

"Lydia, I don't have a thing with Mary. She's old enough to be my mother for fks sake. No offence Mary."

"Oh for gods sake Will. Grow up Will you. It's over, don't you get it! Your lies are finished!"

"Yea, I know it's over Lyd. That's what I've been trying to tell you. I've got to go and find Lyra, now there's a chance for me to see her again!"

"Why bother! She's your ex, can't you see that? She's your fking _ex_ Will, your _ex_!"

"Look Lydia. There's things can't be changed. Lyra and me still love each other. We promised we always would, the only reason we split up was because we live too far away from each other! Her and Pan are our lives!"

"What is_ with_ you? Half the time you speak about yourself as if you're a plural, like there's more than one of you, and now you start going on about a _pan_ your ex-girlfriend keeps as a pet! I don't know, but I'm starting to think it's not only Will Parry needs to go into the crazy house!"

"OH GEE, THANKS LYDIA YOU MESSED UP FKING BCH!" Will screamed at her. "I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING! LYRA SILVERTONGUE CARED ABOUT ME MORE THAN YOU EVER COULD OR EVER WILL!" with that he turned round and stormed off, ignoring the threats and curses Lydia screamed after him, until as a final attempt to get his attention she screamed out

"I USED TO LOVE YOU WILLIAM PARRY, WHY I DID I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT MADE ME LOVE YOU BUT WHAT EVER IT IS I WAS WRONG!" That was the final straw for Will who turned round, against the better judgement of Kirjava, and spoke gently to her, a tear in his voice.

"I know, Lydia, but I'm sorry, I could never love you back. You don't understand the meaning of the word love, not properly anyway. Love is shared between two people. You've never been kissed beneath the golden leafed trees in another world, that's what makes real love Lydia, not simple childish feelings." With that he did turn round, and left her on her own, ignoring the tears and moans of a girl he once thought he could love.

_This is chapter six, so please review it and I'll have the next chapter up on Monday if you do…having them all on a computer ready to do a quick edit and post. And the name of the review was Ray Veracious or something like that. I'm sorry if I insult you, but that's not what it comes up with on your mails and it's them I pay attention to really. Love and peace, Stargazing Maiden._


	7. Son Of Adam

Disclaimer: if I owned HDM then I wouldn't be here now, I'd be in the Caribbean working from a laptop instead. Chapter seven; Son of Adam

The son of Adam, they say he was a great man, but aren't we all Sons of Adam in our own rights. We're all the same, and Adam was the father of us all. we should love and appreciate all those we see, for they are our brothers in heart. Look around you, at those sitting near you. even if you have never seen them before, they are your brothers. Embrace them like brothers. Does that feel right?

"Err, excuse me, but I was wondering if you could help me with something."

"What? Do you want me to tell you the way up to that there castle on the hill? Folks usually do. Yes? That'd be grand and easy then; you go down the main street, across the bridge at the edge of the village and follow on straight up the hill. Take the first right and you can't miss it." The old blacksmith smiled at Will and Mary cheerfully. "It's a grand sight to see a young lad like yourself out enjoying the land with mother, and on a day like today."

"Oh, err, no. My name's Will Parry and this is Mary, she's a friend, not my mother." Will smiled nervously. He and Mary were in a dirty blacksmith's room in a small village in god-knew where. They hadn't been travelling long, only about three days, because it hadn't taken long for them to find a place that claimed to have a blacksmith who was good with unusual weapons and tools. He didn't know what Category the Subtle Knife would really fit under, but he reckoned that unusual would probably cover it.

"No, I was wondering if you'd be able to fix my knife for me. See it was broken a few years ago, and I've never really felt the need to repair it until now. The, erm, the old lady who gave it to me wants to see it one more time before she died." He lied; quickly coming up with it on the spot, as his reason for wanting the knife fixed was something that had slipped both their and their daemons minds.

"Aye, I could help you fix the knife of yours." The blacksmith smiled. "Bring it out and I'll do my best."

Will took out the pieces of the knife from the special bag the angels had given him to keep it in and laid them on the table before them, not anticipating the reaction of the old man.

"How did you come by this knife?" He asked. "This knife is dangerous, you shouldn't be carrying it around." And then, as if on an afterthought. "Boy, Will is it? Show me your hand child." Will looked up, shocked, but held out his hand with the two fingers missing, which the blacksmith took and examined closely, then looked up and muttered something to himself, which sounded to Will something like 'so you are, I thought as much.'

"What?" he asked. "I didn't quite hear you."

"Will, I know what you are and I know what this knife is. Does she or would you prefer to talk somewhere alone?" they looked into each others eyes for a second, and Will felt nothing but truth coming from this man's silent figure, so answered him. If he had seen anything else there was a chance he would have turned and fled.

"I don't know how you know about these things, but we can talk in front of Mary. She is trustworthy, and she was there when it came to me. There is only one person I would trust more than her." The blacksmith held out his hand to shake with Will, and he noticed that it was his left hand.

"My name is Raymond. I think I need to tell you what I know of this knife before I agree to fix it. You have to understand that the Subtle Knife isn't all good or all bad. It has its bad side, but for the most part it can be used for good. It just depends on what the bearer wants to use it for."

"Err, sorry to be rude, but how do you know these things?" Will asked, and the old man nodded gravely.

"I am older than you think. I am the last remaining grandson of Adam, who this knife once belonged to, and his wife Eve, who died long before her time. I suppose you're wondering how that can be so, so I think it is best if I just tell you the story of the knifes.

The history of your destiny started many years ago, at the true forging of the knifes known as the Dust Maker and the Subtle knife. Although the story was changed when the subtle knife was left in Citta-Gazzé the true origins of them are still known by the ancient people who now live in our world and the world of Eve.

Of course you know the stories of Adam and Eve, the two first humans, but not many people know of the gift given to them by the angels, for the almighty, who was at that time young and healthy. He believed that each animal created on earth should be given something special to help them on their way. To the bears he gave the power to make armour, and the power to be solitary, to the Mulfea he gave the power to control the other animals of their world, and to ride on wheels, and to the humans he gave daemons and the two knifes. These two knifes were to give the humans a power to move between worlds, and so populate everywhere, but there was a 'mistake' during the forging of the second of the knifes, the brother called the subtle knife. The almighty made it so that every time the knife was used to cut through worlds it created a dark creature to destroy the human race. This creature wouldn't kill, for at that time the almighty was completely against killing, but it would take the soul of adults and so leave them helpless with nothing to do to them.

He gave the Subtle Knife to Adam, and the Dust Maker (or Gonséither) to Eve, and over the years both used their knifes to do good in the world, for what bad the Subtle Knife did the Dust Maker corrected, for the Dust Maker was capable of no evil.

There came a time, many years after the creation of the knifes, when Adam came to his grandsons in the settled world. He could tell that his time was nearly gone, and asked us to keep his knife safe until the time when his own soul would walk the earth again. Unfortunately my grandfather's plans went astray and the knife found its way to Citta-Gazzé, where it was passed among people who resembled Adam in any small way. Until you came along and took the knife away, used it for its true purpose again and reunited it with the bearer of its sister. You might know already that the child you were travelling with is the re-incarnation of Eve, the mother, but you possibly didn't know that you yourself are of Adam, the father."

"I'm not. It's a lie. I'm no relation of Adam, no more than anyone else anyway."

"I never said you were a son of Adam, I said that you have a lot in common with him, and no matter what you say you cannot argue with that."

"But…But…" Will stuttered,

"No buts." Raymond held up his hand to stop Will. "Once I've re-made your knife you must be on your way, William Parry. You must go and find Lyra. She will be waiting for you."

"How did you? How do you?" Will asked, but Raymond held up his hand again and shook his head.

"The knife, Will. Hand me the knife."

Will took the knife from its sheath, and handed it to the old Blacksmith. Then he stood back as Raymond set to work, re-forging the knife for the second time since it's creation.

_Chapter seven done and dusted, I know its all about Will, but it started with the chapter all about Lyra and then I decided to swap this chapter (Son of Adam) with the chapter I had previously written as chapter seven (Daughter of Eve). As you can probably tell from that, the next chapter's called Daughter of Eve and it's all about Lyra. Anyway, thanks for reading. Love, Stargazing Maiden._


	8. Daughter Of Eve

Disclaimer: the characters from HDM do not belong to me and I do not claim to own them. Chapter eight, Daughter of Eve

Like Adam was our father, so Eve was our mother. Does this not mean that everyone is our sister? You look around you and you see many people. Believe it or not, though I doubt you will, we are all related, no matter our colour. Don't we both have the same two legs? The same two eyes? The same hands, fingers and toes?

"Lyra darlin', is that really you? And after all these years of their being no change in you, haven't you after growing into a fine big lassie."

"I'm glad to see you too, Farder Coram, it feels like it's been so long since I visited the Gyptian families in and around the Dahl. It feels strange to be returning after so many years."

"Aye, it's been a long time Lyra, too long." Another voice spoke; this one deep and strong. Lyra looked up from her place beside Farder Coram, and then jumped to her feet and into the arms of the man standing by the door.

"John Faa, I've missed you so much." she said, as the man who was no longer young hugged her back.

"You've grown Lyra, I see what Farder was saying now. You're a right fine young lady. If I didn't know you so well I'd swear that you weren't our own little Lyra anymore."

"Times chance even the strongest figures, you yourself have been worn beyond imagine. I must be honest, its' a shock to see you so changed in such a short few years, if you don't mind me saying, Mr Faa. I've missed this place so much." the man smiled at the child he had known for the last six years.

"Lyra darling, do you think all the travelling we did together meant nothing? My name is John, it's no good for two old friends like ourselves to be using sir names." He grinned, and gestured at her to be seated. "We've a few old friends a visiting us from the north, I'm sure they'll be mighty happy to see you." he turned and walked back out the door he had entered by, and Lyra sat down on the couch, nervously fiddling with Pan's fur. She noticed that Farder Coram was talking to her and answered him politely enough, making small talk, but her mind was on more pressing matters, i.e. was Will really coming or did he end up staying at home, and what would the visitors say to her.

"Lyra Silvertongue, still as beautiful as ever." A voice grunted behind her. It was several hours later and John Faa had still not returned so her and Farder Coram were sitting together enjoying a light meal.

"Iorick!" Lyra screamed in delight! "Iorick Briorson, it's been so long, how _are_ you." the armoured bear grunted in reply.

"Good. The bears are doing well. We live in the ice like bears were meant to, and the 'university' built by my predecessor are no more. We tore it to the ground and all that the former king stood for."

"That's good. I was worried about how the bears were going to take you being the new king and getting rid of all that they had grown to love. I guess bears aren't supposed to be educated in the way of humans."

"True, but it would not have been if you had said bears were not meant to be educated at all. Bears are to be educated, but in the ways of the world and the bears, not in the ways of humans."

"I understand." Lyra replied, and then, loosing all pretence, she flung herself to the bear and hugged him tight.

"I missed you Iorick, I missed you loads."

"And I you, Lyra Silvertongue, and I you." she pulled away and looked up as she sensed another presence entering the room, but she did not leave go of the fur of the armoured bear.

"Lyra Belaqua, you've grown like the wind. You would easily pass as a witch were you to come north with us." the witch queen from the northern lands smiled sadly down on the young child whose destiny was so densely woven and hard to follow. "My clan sends their greetings."

"Serifina Peccala, its _Silvertongue_ and you know it. I'm not Belaqua anymore, and I have no wish to go back to the name given to be by my mother and father."

"Well said." The lady who was both old and young at the same time smiled. "I'm glad to see you've lost non of your pride."

"And non of your beauty." Lyra finished, and smiled at the other of her good friends. "It's good to see you again Serifina, it feels like an age."

"Yes sister, it's been a long time, and it is good to see you once more. We have lots to catch up on, and I have a message for you from my people and the other clans in the north. We wish you luck in the next chapter of your life and give you the message that no matter what happens, the witches of the north lands are there to help you in your quest." She turned to John Faa then. "John, bring out Gonséither, the sooner Lyra gets the knife the sooner she can get on with what she has to do and then return to us here in our world."

"Serifina." Lyra interrupted. "I'm not sure if I will be returning. I want to show Will this world with all my heart but if this isn't where we were meant to be together then that's the end of it. I'm not going to force something on him if it won't work. He won't get sick because of my heartlessness, and that's the end of it!"

"Well said Lyra, of course I understand what you're saying, but I think you should come travelling before you finally settle down. This trip will take a lot from your health, and if you don't return while travelling I'm afraid there will be little hope of us meeting again before the final trip."

John Faa entered the room again, carrying a parcel wrapped in brown paper that he handed to Serifina Peccala.

"Most esteemed of the witch queens, will you do the honours of handing over the power to the fine young woman we now see standing before us." he said, in a voice that was nothing like his own. "Lyra darling, I think it's time we returned this too its rightful owner." Lyra blushed red, and Pantalaimon started to get excited but Serifina's daemon calmed him with a nod of her head.

"Lyra." Serifina spoke in a firm and strong voice; one that Lyra had never heard her use before but what she assumed was the voice she used when addressing her clan. "Take what is rightfully yours child, but use it well, for although it will not harm like its brother did, it is still a tool of much power and magic." She handed Lyra the brown parcel carefully, and then continued to speak.

"Since the time of your birth when your destiny became apparent we witches have known that you were to wield Gonséither. We bided our time, waiting for the ideal time to give to you the knife that has been in our care since Eve left it with us at the beginning of time, and now that time has come." John Faa looked at her closely, and then spoke to Lyra.

"Sit down Lyra, for it's high time you learned of the history of the world that is known by the Witches and the Gyptians." Lyra took a seat on the edge of an armchair against one wall, and Serifina and John took the couch opposite her.

"The history of your destiny started many years ago, at the true forging of the knifes known as the Dust Maker and the Subtle knife. Although the story was changed when the subtle knife was left in Cita-Gazzé the true origins of them are still known by the ancient people who now live in our world.

Of course you know the stories of Adam and Eve, the two first humans, but not many people know of the gift given to them by the angels, for the almighty, who was at that time young and healthy. He believed that each animal created on earth should be given something special to help them on their way. To the bears he gave the power to make armour, and the power to be solitary, to the Mulfea he gave the power to control the other animals of their world, and to ride on wheels, and to the humans he gave daemons and the two knifes. These two knifes were to give the humans a power to move between worlds, and so populate everywhere, but there was a 'mistake' during the forging of the second of the knifes, the brother called the subtle knife. The almighty made it so that every time the knife was used to cut through worlds it created a dark creature to destroy the human race. This creature wouldn't kill, for at that time the almighty was completely against killing, but it would take the soul of adults and so leave them helpless with nothing to do to them.

He gave the Subtle Knife to Adam, and Gonséither to Eve, and over the years both used their knifes to do good in the world, for what bad the Subtle Knife did the Dust Maker corrected, for the Dust Maker was capable of no evil.

There came a time, many years after the creation of the knifes, when Eve came to the witches in the north. She could tell she was near death, and asked us to keep her knife safe until the time when her own soul would walk the earth again. That was the prophecy that forced your life into what it was, and now we are returning your mother's knife to you." John Faa's story drew to a close and Lyra looked up nervously.

"What do you mean 'my mother?' Eve wasn't my mother, that was miss Coulter."

"Miss Coulter was your mother on earth, but Adam and Eve are your true parents and always will be. After all, we are all sisters and brothers, so we all have the same parents in our souls." Serifina Peccala explained. "Go now, Lyra. Go and face your destiny."

_When I wrote this chapter I was sitting in school because I had a day without exams and I thought I'd come in, do an after-school club I was involved in and write with the change of scenery. Then the after-school club was cancelled so I hit the lads who went dosing and got it cancelled. But that's neither here nor there so as always please review this chapter. Love and peace, Stargazing Maiden._


	9. Wrath Of The Serpent

Disclaimer: I do not own and I do not claim to own the HDM characters or anything related to it. Chapter nine; Wrath of the Serpent

I look and I see, and I see and I look, but still I do not understand. I lost my love, and it killed me, but I see people who claim to have their hearts broken and the go about their normal lives. It's said to be wrong to love someone who is the same sex as you, or who doesn't look like you, but who are we to say what is right or wrong?

The life of Mary Malone had not been easy. Although she had friends she hadn't felt comfortable in her own world for many years since she had returned from travelling. She found it hard to accept that she was back and kept looking around for the signs of the Mulfea who were her friends. She didn't speak to many people and was often to be found out in her back garden in the suburbs of Oxford tending the small shunted trees she grew with special care. She spent her days working in silence in a small office in the city centre and would only speak when spoken to. Her only friend was a boy young enough to be her son called William Parry.

It wasn't that Mary minded being alone, in many ways it was relaxing, but you had to admit that it was a big change after doing everything with other people. She was decided now that she made a mistake when it came to leaving the Mulfea, but also that she would never go back. Will often talked about finding a way to return to Lyra and get her back to the Mulfea but she knew it would never be so. Her time was finished and returning to the Mulfea and her friends would just bring even more pain. She didn't have any way of knowing what was happening there, and apart from the feeling of terrible sadness over the summer she had felt nothing to tell her what was going on. Truth be told she didn't even know if that feeling had anything to do with the Mulfea, but deep in her heart she believed the two worlds to be connected and her the connecting piece in the puzzle.

The Wheel-Pod seeds she had been given on her last day with the Mulfea had flourished in the air, and although they were no-where near as high as they would eventually grow to it was clear that they were doing very well. Mary often felt that they were growing disappointingly slow but Will was always quick to point out that in their own world they lived for many hundreds of years. She valued his friendship as much for those small words of counselling that anything else.

Mary had named her Daemon too, and she now saw him constantly without trying. His name was Mazzura, and now that she knew him she could hardly imagine how she had managed without his help in everyday life. There were definitely plus sides to how the people in Lyra's world had developed, and she could see now that although they had electricity and cars they were the loneliest of all worlds. For the Mulfea they always worked in pairs, and for Lyra and her friends they always had their daemons to talk to, and other worlds had dragonflies and deaths and many other forms of company that was with them at all times. She wondered often about how their world was different and the summer she returned home had began compiling a book about the differences between the worlds, although looking at it from the views of her world and how lonely it was so as not to raise suspicion. She had managed to get the book published though it had not gone very far in the charts, not even reaching the best-sellers lists in oxford, let alone the rest of Britain. There were roomers that it was doing well in Ireland but there was no proof and Mary felt that jetting off to some other country to follow a roomer was a waste at this time. The trees needed her constant care if they were going to do well, and making them do well was what she had now dedicated her life too.

She hadn't given up the idea of travelling totally though, and was ready to go out in any direction at any time, but there had to be a good reason and something to do with a boring pass time was _not_ worth it.

_Stargazing Maiden would like to apologise for the crappy and confusing chapter, and point out to anyone who didn't notice from reading this that the extracts at the beginning of each chapter are supposed to come from the book Mary wrote. Thanks, any reviews appreciated…S xxx_

_I am also aware that this chapter is short, but I had serious problems with it. love and peace._


	10. Trial Separation

Disclaimer: Do not own, do not claim to own, will never claim to own. Chapter ten; Trial Separation

Divorce, a creation for those who can't stand what true love really is? Or is it our way of telling the powers above that true love has no meaning. Love is a feeling of joy and power, but divorce is the work of the devil. This proves that there is no true love left in the world or that we have not learned to love…would you really get rid of your true love?

Lyra's world

"Lyra? Lyra, wake up. The voice spoke gently to her, and Lyra roused herself, thinking for an instant that perhaps it was Will calling her. Unfortunately she was mistaken, for when she opened her eyes it was David who was staring down at her, cupping her face in his soft, dark hands.

"Lyra, come on, we've got to get you warm again. You're freezing away out here." Lyra stood up and pushed him away roughly.

"No David, you're wrong. I've done this many a time before; to me this is like nothing special. It's only you who seems to have a problem with being outside in the cold."

"This isn't cold." He grunted. "Lyra, wake up and smell the frozen fish. This is the middle of an arctic winter. I don't get what you're doing out here." He tried to pull her to him, but she pushed him away, suddenly realising how absurd the whole thing was. Because he was right, she was in the middle of no-where, somewhere towards the arctic, but it was no big deal to her. What bothered her was that he had followed her to the arctic even after she'd left the letter telling him what was happening.

"Come on," he moaned, and tried to pull her away. "You're a bit delusional, that's what's wrong. And I can understand why, too. I asked around Oxford after you left, it must have been two weeks ago now, and I found out the truth about your friend. He was killed on the ice above Svalbard, just like you claimed from the start, and you never took his body back. After that you disappeared for a while, and when you came back you had changed, apparently for the worse. Ever since then you've been on about a boy who could have existed or could have not existed, and the only person anyone can think it could be was Roger, the kitchen boy who was taken by those Gobbler people a few years back."

Lyra glared at him, giving him her best angry face. "William Parry is no fictional Character." She hissed. "He's my best friend and I love him with all my heart. That's why I'm going to find him, and you shouldn't have followed me. We didn't want you to come, I thought I made that clear in my letter."

David frowned, trying to remember, and then it seemed to click in him mind.

"Oh yea Lyra, some letter. What was it, 'My heart will always belong to the boy I told you about before.' 'I'm going to find my long-lost-love.' Oh yea, I'm just going to feel great about that aren't I!"

"So, why did you follow us then? I told you in my letter, I could only ever love you like a brother. I thought you'd take that as I didn't want you to follow me."

"I couldn't take it like that. Neither could Claskinda, and she's my daemon so it would have killed me to break her heart. I love you Lyra, and Claskinda loves Pan, why can't you seem to see that?"

"Oh, I see it." Lyra growled. "I see that you both believe you love us so that we can never feel good going back to Will, and I see that you have never wanted me to be happy. I wish I had seen it before, but I couldn't see it because I was blind to all your wrongs. I believed you to be like Will, and so I trusted you, but as I knew you better and better I could see that I'd made a mistake, and ever since then I've been regretting my decision." Lyra hated herself for saying these things, but she felt that if she was ever to get away from the young man who had attached himself to her so obediently she was going to have to be harsh.

"That's not true Lyra." He cried. "How can you say so many things about me, you know its' not true, you know I love you for who you are." He fell silent and looked at Lyra for a second, but she gave him a look that forced him to continue.

"And anyway, it's you who is in the wrong, you're the one who has just said that you only went out with me because I reminded you of your ex. If that isn't shallow or wrong then I don't know what is!"

"I know that was wrong." Lyra replied. "But if you knew what it was to love someone as much as I love Will then you would understand too. It's not a hard thing to understand when you've felt the touch of the person you most love. He was the person who settled my daemon, we have a special connection."

"Oh." Said David; resigning himself to the fact that he had now lost Lyra for good, now that he knew that it had been the boy she was running off to join who had settled Pantalaimon. "I understand now that I could never take the place of this boy, whoever he is, but I wish with all my heart that I could have." Lyra frowned, neither impressed or amused by his pleading.

"Yea, well. You can't, so get lost." She got up from the ground, gathered her pack and walked away into the gathering dawn. Behind her David stood and stared for several minutes, watching as the back of the worlds most stubborn girl/woman disappeared into the distance.

Will's World

in their world Will and Mary were standing beside a grove of large trees, their tops seeming to brush the skies but dwarfed in comparison to the wheel pod trees of the Mulfea. Mary looked at Will, and he understood immediately what she was going to say, it was what came of spending a large amount of time in each others company and sharing some life changing experiences.

"This goodbye then?" Will asked, and Mary nodded.

"Yes." She replied. "I've come this far, and it's further than I expected. It's time for me to find somewhere to settle down."

"You're not coming as far as the world of the Mulfea then?" He asked.

"No." She replied. "The angels have promised to protect you and Lyra and your daemons, but they made no such promise to me. I cannot come with you, because although I would love with all my heart to meet with my friends the Mulfea again I would prefer to live with them when I was in good health."

"I understand. But… What if I left a window open for you?"

"It would not work, or else you and Lyra would have left a window for you both to use. You know that in your heart, I know you do." she reached out and took his hand in hers, willing some of her energy into the young adult she had grown to love like a son. He nodded.

"Yea, I suppose. I don't know, I suppose it's just that I want you to be happy, you know, after everything you've done for me since mom."

"Don't mention it." Mary frowned at him.

"I've told you more than enough times, I don't want to hear it. what I did for you I did to thank you for introducing me to travelling, and its me who should be thanking you to that." She smiled at him, and he felt a tear coming to his eye. Will _hated_ saying good-byes, but most of the main parts in his life seemed to involve a goodbye. There was the time when he started travelling, when he said goodbye to his mother, and the time at the end of his travels when he said goodbye to Lyra. Then he had said goodbye to his mother and now the next closest thing to a mother he had ever known, his dear friend Mary Malone.

Mary hugged him to her closely, and he was enveloped in the warm smell he knew so well.

"Goodbye, Will." She whispered. "Look after yourself, and tell Lyra I said hello." He hugged her back, and smiled gently through his tears.

"I will, don't worry. And anyway, it's not really goodbye. We've got all eternity after to be together, and you'll get to talk to Lyra then too." she hugged him at that, and then pushed him through the window he had just opened. From her side of the window as she watched as the young man who she knew so well walked away into the haze, and swore she nearly saw him wipe away a tear as he turned back to wave.

_Okay, so now I've done chapter ten. I thought I'd make Mary and Will going there separate ways kind of sad, but I didn't do it very well. Next chapter tomorrow or the next day or whenever, because my parents now have no control over whether or not I update! Yay! Anyways, reviews appreciated as always, love and peace, Stargazing Maiden._


	11. Surrounded by nothing

_This is just a quick note before I start writing this chapter, so you don't think I've gone mad or it's a different story or anything. Way back in chapter five I promised a few chapters about an unnamed character I introduced in the last sentence of Lyra's section. This is the first of those chapters._

Disclaimer: if I owned would I really be writing this?

Chapter eleven; Surrounded By Nothing

Nothingness, the feeling of discontent, the feeling of there being no hope. I'm sure some of you have felt this before, but remember, you are not alone, for the person who truly loves you will always be there for you and will have gone through the same thing before. He/she who loves you will always be able to help.

It was tough being alone, it really was. Not that Dawn minded particularly, it was okay but sometimes it just got a bit lonely. You know, being lonely was just part of her life, and she didn't exactly know any other way. Well, she knew people; obviously, but they weren't close as her and her family had always kept apart from the other families and lived in their own corner of the moving village that was their home. It was good living in the tribe, but sometimes Dawn wished they were more like their ancestors, the river people who they were so alike. She reached up and tugged on the reign of the horse she was guiding, pulling it closer towards the path being followed by the rest of her tribe. Bollox was constantly going his own way, and it was starting to get on her nerves a bit. No-body wanted a horse which needed constant guidance to go anywhere, and Bollox was the worst anyone in the tribe had ever seen.

Dawn, however didn't mind, because Bollox was her own little baby. Although she was only fourteen she was already living away from her parents trailer and running her own life. She had her one horse and her wagon which was the same as most of the other people in her tribe and she was nothing special.

Not that everyone would have agreed with her on that matter, for there was one young man, barely a teenager, who thought the world of her. Terry thought she was the most amazing woman ever to walk the earth and had done for many years. All he could wish for revolved around the time when they would be married, and he would become a real man leading a trailer and a wife with him. Unfortunately for him Dawn had other ideas, for although she loved Terry her heart did not belong to him, and never would. Everyone told her that Terry was soft on her and she should make an effort because he was a grand catch but she didn't agree with them on that point. Yea, there was no arguing that Terry was going to grow up to be a good man, but her heart belonged to another and that other was her childhood friend, Myst.

Myst and her had grown up together and were about as close as it was possible to be. She had never met anyone she was able to connect to as well as him before, but until she had heard the voice a few nights before she hadn't identified her feelings as Love. Maybe he was feeling the same, but she didn't know. All she honestly knew was that her life was not going to change dramatically, and she was comfortable as that. Unless… The memory of the singing voice kept returning to her and refused to let her be. It haunted her dreams, in which she saw a girl barely older than herself standing by the roadside in a silent city singing her song with an animal Dawn couldn't recognise draped around her feet.

_Turning up here; be ready._ Her death Oblatang warned her inside hear head, and Dawn prepared for the long slog of turning Bollox into any type of tidy turn. Keeping him away from the tender grass on either side of the worn dirt track was hard enough, but to turn him from one path to another could be near impossible, and Dawn could tell in advance that the turning coming up was going to be a hard one. It was covered in the type of harsh grass no horse would like to eat, but surrounded by young saplings and fresh shoots which would do nothing to a horse but draw them ever closer.

"You are _going_ round that corner." She grunted to Bollox, and pulled his reign sharply. "Their, good boy." She coaxed as he started to go round. He completed the turn very well, and Dawn was delighted. If she wasn't supposed to be riding in the trail she would have got down from the cart and hugged him.

"Dawn, wait up." Myst called, and she stopped for him to catch her up.

"What's up?" she asked as he vaulted up onto the bench beside her. "You hardly ever bother to come and visit me when we're moving." He smiled apologetically.

"Yea, well. tight times call for tight measures. I'm bringing you fair warning of something so you should be grateful."

"Yeah, what?" she asked, suddenly feeling worried. "Is something wrong in the trail ahead?" he smiled at her.

"As if, we'd have stopped if that was the problem. I'm not even sure would you call this a problem. Thing is, Terry is on the march. He wants to talk to you when we stop."

"Oh Christ."

"Exactly. I recommend you make yourself have a headache or be busy mucking out Bollox or something. That way he won't be able to talk to you or anything."

"Yeah. Well thanks." She replied, and watched as Myst jumped down and made off up the trial again. She was glad they were such good friends, it would kill her if they weren't.

_Short chapter I know, but that's cause I wasn't really sure what I was doing with Dawn to start up with. Myst was originally called Darren but I decided that because the tribe was all in with the world thing then they should have names from things around us, hence Myst. Also I'm trying to bring in all the cultures mentioned in HDM, hence Oblatang as Dawn's death. The original of this chapter had Dawn as a teenager called Bridget living in our world, but it just seemed too _princess diaries_ for it to work. Anyway, there'll be a few more chapters with Dawn. She comes into the story in a major way near the end but for now she's just to split up the Will and Lyra stuff a bit and stop it dragging on too much._

_Note on deaths: in my story a death is like a daemon in our world in the fact that you can't see them because they're inside you and only called on if you need them, but different in the fact that a few people can talk to them. As you can see Dawn can talk to her death as if it was outside her, but no-body else knows that he exists._


	12. Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own HDM or the related characters, places or items. Chapter twelve; Truth

They stopped after some time by the edge of a small stream, and like Myst had suggested Dawn came down with a head-ache from the heat and refused to let anyone to see her. Save her parents and Myst himself who kept dropping in on her to report how Terry was taking her sudden illness Dawn saw no-one that day.

"He's very cross." Myst reported during one of his many visits. "He says someone's plotting against him and that I've put something in your water so you're not able to talk to me."

"Hahaha!" Dawn laughed sarcastically at that remark. "You're joking right?"

"No."

"Oh crap." She frowned. "Doesn't he know I've no interest in him. I don't know how many times I've tried to blank him so he'd see it. I didn't know he'd be able to think I had interest if I kept acting like I have been." He looked over at her, realised she was holding back tears and then came over and took her in his arms, realising as he did so that this woman meant more to him than any other person alive.

"Don't worry, please." He whispered into her shoulder as he held her tight against him. "I'm sure he'll come round and understand soon enough. I'll say one thing for Terry, and that's that he's very good at understanding this type of thing. He'll be fine with it once you explain to his face."

"I know." She replied, and he felt her tears seep through his tunic onto his should. "I just don't know how I can tell him that I don't love him like her loves me."

"It will be hard, even I can tell that, but if it's what you need to do then you're going to have to do it. There's no exceptions in life Dawn, you know that as well as me."

"I know like you know Myst. There is no way you can change what you need to do in your life, it's just my luck that what I have to do will mean hurting someone dear to me."

"Everyone must hurt someone they love at one time or another, I don't know why but I feel you should be grateful to get that chance when you're young and it won't affect you too bad in your later life."

"I suppose. At least if I've had to let someone down while I'm still barely more than a child then I hopefully won't have to go through it again. it feels hard now, but I guess you're right."

"I never thought I'd hear that one. Me being right."

"Don't me stupid. Of course you're right. You're always so sensible."

"You're the only one who thinks that."

"I'm not, most people just don't bother saying anything cause they're too busy trying to live their lives."

"You're just saying that to be nice. You know you've got to talk to Terry and you want all your friends you can get."

"Yea, I guess. I've got to tell him though; it just feels so hard. I don't know how I can do it, not to him anyway, not after he's been such a good friend." She felt herself begin to break down and wrapped her arms around him in return to his hug.

"I know, I know, but it will be fine. You're strong; you'll be able to cope. You're able to cope with everything."

"Hahaha, I don't think. God Myst, you're the best friend anyone could ever wish for. I'm so glad I've still got you." Myst nodded and pulled her closer, holding her against him as if he was afraid to let her go.

"Whatever happens, wherever you go, whatever you do, I will always love you." He whispered, hardly daring to get the words out, and pulled her close, wondering at the softness of her voice and of her touch of her fingers on the tips of his as she replied with the response he now realised he had longed to hear for many long years.

"And I you, since forever, now and until forever. Wherever you go I will love you, whatever you do I will love you, whatever happens to us in the world I will love you." She pressed her lips to his and he drank in the warmth of her kiss, knowing that from that moment he had found the woman who was to be his wife, who he was made to be with. He knew from then on that whatever he had felt for her before it was nothing, nothing compared to this. This was love; this was what humans were supposed to feel and the height of the power that was given to them so many years ago.

The two people, boy and girl, stepped out of Dawns wagon in the gathering dusk and walked across the grass towards the fire hand in hand. Around them people continued with their work, it was nothing new to see Dawn and Myst walking like this as everyone knew they were more than close, they were like twins. The only people to notice anything different about their relationship were Dawn's parents; Myst's parents and a certain young man named Terry. He noticed because for many hours now he had been looking out for any sign of Dawn becoming well again and coming out so he could talk to her and ask her for her hand in marriage. He had been becoming considerably more suspicious of all the time Myst seemed to spend in with her at all times, and today he had been positively fuming when she let him in to see her but refused flatly to have him anywhere near them. As they drew closer to the fire and the light several more people noticed the change in their posture, and as it was almost time for the evening meal the gathered in towards them. Dawn looked at Myst, and grinned. They both understood that now was the time for them and that today before the evening meal they would request to be married.

Dawn stopped nervously before her parents and waited to be spoken too, she could tell from their faces that they knew what had been happening in her wagon.

"Mother, father, I come before you wishing for your blessing." She knelt before their feet and waited with nerves for them to show their reaction. Her mother took her in for several minutes, and then reached down and pulled her to her feet.

"My daughter." Her father began, smiling sadly. "When I first set eyes on your beauty you were the smallest of the small, the youngest of the children, the essence of young life as a baby. Now you stand before me a grown woman asking for my blessing for you and yours in your married life, and I am filled with a huge sadness. My little girl, my daughter Dawn who I cared for with all my heart, of course you shall have my blessing. Go live your life my darling, live it to the best of your abilities." There was very little to add to that speech but Dawns mother hugged her tightly and spoke a few well chosen words before leaving her go.

"No matter where you go, you shall always be our daughter." She whispered gently to her middle daughter who was no longer a child. "Wherever you go, whatever happens, our blessing shall always be with you. You may not need us any longer but your parents will be here with you, so long as you live and we live too." Dawn wrapped her arms around her mother and father tightly, realising that this would be the last time she did this as a child under the protection of her family.

_Wow, that chapter only took me one day to write, and its not too bad. I'm going to write a few Will and Lyra chapters now, but when I come back to Dawn's story its going to be her wedding. I've just been looking over my story and I haven't got a clue how many more chapters I'll need. I'll just wait and see and write until it feels finished… Love, Stargazing Maiden._


	13. Letters Home

Disclaimer: I don't own HDM or 'The Fields Of Athenry', but then considering that the fields of Athenry is a folk song I could probably argue that I've got as much right as anyone else to write it down…but I'm not the argumentative type. Chapter thirteen; Letters Home

The power to write and be understood is a gift given to many, but it is a gift that should be cherished no matter what happens. Humans have managed to find many ways of showing off their emotions but the most amazing is the power to write, as a letter can be kept and cherished forever.

Lyra's World

'Dear David,

I'm sorry you came to find me like you did, it must have been very hard for you.' Lyra wrote, and then stopped for a second. Her and Pan were sitting on the grass in the hot sun of another world, and she had decided against her better conscience to write to David and apologise so that he understood what was happening. Posting a letter to him would cause no problems; she would simply cut through to her own world and post it from there.

'Travelling is good, I didn't realise how much I missed the road when I was living in Oxford. I wish you could see some of the incredible places we've travelled too since we left you, it's amazing. I'm writing this while sitting on the grass outside a small village and I can see all the smoke from the houses rising into a haze in the distance. It's so beautiful; I can't remember when I was so happy. We're loving the atmosphere of travelling so much, it's something you can't understand unless you've been here but the idea of not knowing where you're going to end up is something that cant be matched by any other feeling. All around us the farms stretch out across the plains and there are young children playing and working on the land with their parents. It's something you would never see in Oxford.

I left my Gyptian friends several weeks ago and have been travelling since, first with Serifina Peccala and Iorick Briorson from the north and then by my own as they both felt the call of their own lands. I am hoping to visit them eventually but for now I am happy the way I am, travelling the land with Pan and not knowing where the future will take us. It is truly the life I've always wished to live; now I look back I wonder how I ever managed living in a city or town. I like it well enough but it's just not the life I feel best in. I'm unlike you in that way, although I didn't see it before. I love travelling but you seemed always to need the social interaction that came with being in the city. I couldn't handle it; it always made me feel very claustrophobic. I don't know if I've said this already but I need to be moving to be comfortable. I have many friends I never told you of and in the next few days I plan to head towards their homes. Hopefully I'll get around most of them in quick enough time, as I want to start my real travelling some time soon. Although I told you I was going especially to meet Will I spoke to several of my old friends before leaving Oxford and they recommended I took this time to go visiting all the amazing places I have friends in. I understand why they say that because this could easily be the last time I get a chance to go travelling. There are some things involving my destiny not many people can know but I'm trusting you now Davie, trusting that you will keep my history and my present a secret.

I am the new Eve. I know this must sound strange to you, and I'm not asking you to believe but I believe that everyone on earth has a part to play. And I believe that the story of the world is on a constant circle, with each story repeating itself on numerous occasions in a circle non stop. I hope you don't think I've gone mad, this is simply the believe I've been taught in my life, hard to believe it's only been sixteen years. I hope you're taking what I've told you okay, I know it's a hard thing to take but it's important that you understand that it is only in my nature to need to get away.

I must go now, I would prefer to find some sort of shelter before the night closes in on me. Love as always, your friends forever, Lyra and Pan.'

She put down her pen and reread it over quickly. It didn't sound too bad when you read it quickly, and she had managed fairly well not to mention anything about the Dust Maker or other worlds, very well in fact. She put the letter into her backpack, she would post it next time she bothered to pass into her world but for now she would have to move on, she was moving closer and closer to Will with every move and she could feel it. As she walked she sang to herself, another of the songs she had heard in Will's world, and another which had stuck in her mind for so many long years.

By lonely prison wall

I heard a young girl calling

Michael they are taking you away

For you stole Travelians corn

So the young might see the morn

Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.

Low lie

The fields of Athenry

Where once we watched the small, free birds fly.

Our love was on the wing

We had dreams and songs to sing

It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry.

By lonely prison wall

I heard a young man calling.

Nothing maters Mary, when your free

Against the famine and the crown

I rebelled, they ran me down

Now you must raise our child with dignity.

Low, lie

The fields of Athenry

Where once we watched the small, free birds fly.

Our love was on the wing,

We had dreams and songs to sing,

It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry.

By lonely prison wall

She watched the last star falling

And the prison ship sailed out across the bay.

For she'll live and hope and pray

For her love in Botany Bay.

It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry.

Low, lie

The fields of Athenry

Where once we watched, the small free birds fly.

Our love was on the wing

We had dreams and songs to sing

It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry.

Pantalaimon joined in as they walked, and soon they were lost in the coming darkness, the only thing giving away their positions the sound of their voices echoing in the large empty world.

Will's World

"It's so quiet. It's like we're the only people alive."

_We're not, but everyone is sleeping. You shouldn't worry about things._

"It's hard not to when I've just come into a place where even the birds are silent."

_They are, but that's just their way. This world has been in this state for a very long time. I don't recommend we spend any more time than we need here._

"I'll cut us a way out now." Will replied, and quickly cut a gate away from the world which they had found themselves in. It was nice enough when you first came into it, but soon you found the silence and nothing was imploding, locking you in as if there was no way out and no way to escape the forthcoming peril. He cut a window and found himself in a sunny world with the light shining through the blue haze of clouds. He looked to his right and saw nothing unusual, the long plains reaching as far as the sea in the distance reminded him of somewhere but that was nothing new. Most places nowadays reminded him of somewhere he had previously visited. He looked to his left and suddenly the feeling of belonging fitted into place, for far in the distance he could make out the outline of a grove of tall Wheel-pod trees. And, nestled in the topmost branches of one the platform he remembered Mary re-making on one of her last days in this world. He looked further and just as he had expected he spotted the village by the edge of the sea that was the home of the Mulfea he had spent some time with. Was it possible that he could see it from here, the tree he and Lyra had spent there nights together under? Yes, it was blurry and vague in the distance but it was definitely there. Will's heart jumped at the o-so-familiar sight but he forced his heart to quiet and sat on the edge of a rock to get his bearings before setting off towards the village he knew he would find all his friends living in.

The village was very different when he arrived, and he was shocked to find that Miya, Mary's special friend had died the summer before in an attack as had many of the Mulfea he remembered as adults. The village was now run by the 'children' who were more than happy to give Will a huge greeting and a hut of his own to live in. Will half remembered some of the children as the three who had been there when he had come so many years ago, and it made him sad to see how much they had become different over the years. However they made him feel comfortable and welcome, and Will found that within a few days he felt happy and safe and was settling into life among the Mulfea once again. It was during this time that he wrote to Mary to tell her of developments, with the plan of cutting through to his world and posting the letter at a later date.

'Dearest Mary,' he wrote, and found himself spilling all his deepest feelings into the letter.

'I love travelling so much, although I miss you like hell. I'm writing this from the world of the Mulfea, where I'm sitting under the tree where me and Lyra once stayed. It feels incredible to be back here after so long but in a way its' scary…so much has changed. I'm not certain is it a good thing to break the news to you but Miya sadly died during the summer a year ago in one of the final attacks, and the village is now run by the Mulfea we knew as children. They are doing a very good job though, and the land prospers. The wheel-pod tree's are all back to normal and the harvest is going as planned. There are more than enough wheels to go around and the Mulfea are living through a time of plenty. There have been no attacks on villages in many months, and recently the only attacks there have been are only small and nothing-like compared to how they used to be. There has been no villages destroyed in all the time we've been gone and the world is settling down. Miya died in the final attack on any village, although it is hard to call this place a village anymore, it is more like a fully fledged town. I have been given your cottage to stay in although I feel better to sleep under the tree where me and Lyra once slept. You'll never believe it, but when I went into your house for the first time your clothes were still in the closet. The rough cloth skirt you used to wear when you were mending nets and the blue wrap-around sarong you always wore when we were going to sit on the beach and in the evenings when you were telling stories, they all brought back such memories. I'm not certain is it what you wish me to do but the village people, when they realised what I was doing writing this, asked me to send you back your clothes and their gifts of some more Wheel-Pod oil. I told them of the lack of success we had when planting the trees and it was their wish that you kept the oil. All who were left after the attack that destroyed most of the village last summer send their love and wishes.

I walked up to the opening yesterday, although it was something I was very much afraid to do. I needn't have been however, though there is still a stream of ghosts coming from the gateway. The trees that were planted around it have grown large and strong and have developed into a form of barrier which tunnels all the dead in a protected line out into the open air where they can be sure to escape properly from the bounds of the earth. It is truly something magnificent to watch and gave me a feeling of joy which it is hard to explain. I saw no-body I recognised from our world there which in a way is a blessing, but there were certainly some who I recognised from the battle of the many worlds. Many of the dead from three years ago are still forcing their way up along the tunnel which leads from the world of the dead now the abyss has been closed. Much to Kirjava's disgust I found myself walking a small way down into the world of the dead to see how it is changed, and I was amazed. While when I passed down first it was a dark and depressing place it is now sunlit and joyful, with many ghosts happily enjoying the state of the world that they have come too. They all choose to come up though, because the call of their daemons calls them all in the end.

I visited the grove as well, and found the very place it all happened. The memories of Lyra there were so strong the whole atmosphere vibrated and I was almost blinded by the strength of love filling the place. I always knew our love was strong, but I didn't realise it could rattle a world. I could almost feel Lyra as I sat there on the grass, dibbling my feet in the cool water and relaxing against the grass. I don't know if love like ours is strong enough to leave a lasting mark but there was certainly something there. It amazed me to feel it.

I hope this letter reaches you in the good health it leaves me. My love to everyone at home, please tell Lydia I'm not really mad at her, it was just the stress of leaving. Thinking about you always, your friend, William Parry.

_Letters home, what are they thinking about! Next chapter is going to be about Dawn and life with Myst, and it's going to continue every-other until I kill someone. I'm sorry, but it just has to be done. In the words of Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, 'to be a children's author I have to be a killer.' Please review. Love, Stargazing Maiden._


	14. Why Don't You

Disclaimer: though I wish I owned HDM I know I don't. It sucks. 

This chapter is about Dawn, but it's going to be the last chapter about her. There will be fifteen chapters in the finished version of this, and I have the final chapter written already. There is a slight break between this chapter and the next but I just couldn't write what I wanted to into a chapter and I love what I did with the last one. Anyway.

Chapter fourteen; Why Don't you

The most common question in the world…why. And something asked for so many reasons that it is hard to find a true definition of it. But it is a very lonely word… it says to me, and to other people I've spoken too, 'I don't understand you. We're not as close as we could and should be.'

It was a sunny day and the horses roasted in the heat. Near the back of the trail Bollox grunted stropily and moved to the side of the path to munch on some pale green shoots that were pushing their way up through the ground. Dawn pulled him back onto the path and the continued forward.

The announcement of Dawn and Myst's engagement had gone down okay but unfortunately they had not yet been married. It wasn't that there were problems with them being married, but it was the way of the tribe that everyone was married in the home village, and as they were several hundred miles away it would take some time for the marriage to come through. Not that this bothered them in any way, everything seemed to be going amazing and the villagers were happy. Or they would have been if it wasn't for Terry's reaction to the engagement.

"How _could_ you." He hissed at Dawn as they pulled to a stop at the edge of a river and he came forward to meet her. "You knew how I felt, you knew I was going to ask you to marry me, but you still went off with that, that…Woman!"

"He's no woman but a better man than you could ever be. I don't know why you're so cross with what's been happening. It's not like there was any chance of us being married."

"How can you say that?" Terry groaned. "We were in love Dawn, I loved you and you would have loved me if you had given me a chance. You told your friends that you loved me, so why couldn't we be married."

"Terry, I love everyone to some extent, but I don't love many people the same as I love Myst. You can't say that you've never loved anyone before." She paused, and then realised the trap she'd fallen into, because now he would claim that she had loved him.

"So you did love me then, I knew it would work between us!"

"No!" She exclaimed. "Stop twisting my words! That isn't what I said!"

"You said you loved me, that means it would have worked between us!"

"I loved you, and still do, but I love you like a brother."

"That's not good enough though." He replied… "I want you to love me more than as a brother!"

Dawn shook her head in exasperation, it was clear that he wasn't going to understand.

It was two days later when the accident happened. They were crossing a river with the horses and it was clear that they would reach home village within a few short days. If they went at a good rate it could even be the next day.

Destiny, however, had different ideas, because as Dawn was guiding Bollox across the river he hit a loose stone. With any other animal that would have been fine, but because this was Bollox and his mind was on his dinner and the fresh green grass the other side of the river they lost control. Dawn was starting to panic but as the wagon she was sitting on got more and more covered in water her death materialised beside her. Even though it was the first time she'd seen him in person she wasn't shocked, and took everything quite well.

"Come." He said, and although she realised that this was the end she went with him anyway.

"What about Myst?" she asked as she moved away, watching him stand by the edge of the river and cry. In the distance she could see her motionless body, still on its cart.

"He will come when it's his time, but for now it's yours not his." Oblatang explained and Dawn excepted this, following him onwards into the depths of the world of the dead.

_Stargazing Maiden would like to apologise for the short chapter…she had a block on this one and just wanted to get it finished. The next chapters will be better. Stargazing Maiden would also like to say that if she's got this much posted then she must have some smack-good fans cause she wasn't going to post unless she got at least one review per chapter. So thanks…it's good to be loved._


	15. Entranced

7

Disclaimer: I don't own HDM.

**Final Chapter. Entranced**

"Miss Silvertongue. You've made it I see." The old harpy hissed and Lyra smiled at her.

"Yes. I'm here, Gracious Wings, but it doesn't take a genius to see that he's not here yet. Is there any word from him at all?"

"No, not a single word darling, just the breezes coming in from the world you opened to us. He will come though, we can be sure of that. All pass through the world of the dead at some point or another."

"I know. I was hoping he wasn't here yet, because that would have meant he had a short life. I was only twenty-three when I died, I would have hated him to die young too." The harpy smiled down on her from the top of a tree she had perched on.

"Tell me it all, Lyra Silvertongue, Tell me your true story like the true story you told all those years ago. You have already paid your way out more than once over, but your stories are our joy and we would love to hear how you spent the rest of your life after the amazing story you were able to tell us last time round." Lyra looked up at the old withered face, and began.

"My life was nothing special, in it's own little way." she began, and the harpy hissed at her.

"Don't lie to me Lyra, for I and my kind can always sense a lie. Tell me of your life, I would like to hear everything there is to know about the destiny of the new Eve."

So Lyra began her story for a second time, and this time she spoke completely truthfully. She told of her love for Will and of the wind and the sun on her skin as she ran with him across the planes in the world of the Mulfea. She told of how she had felt when she lost Will, and how much she had cried. She told of the joy of finding Pantalaimon again, and the shock of finding that she was holding Will's daemon instead of her own. She told of the realisation about what makes a daemon keep it's final shape, and the love and joy she felt when Will touched Pan's fur and she realised this would be his final form what he would keep until they died. She told of how her heart had bled those first few days after leaving Will, and how the only thing that had kept her alive was the thought that at least she knew that Billy had survived the north. She told of how she had returned to her own world, told her story to the master of Jordan College and taken her place in Dame Hannah's new girls school. She told how shortly after that she had gone onto study as a scholar in Dame Hannah's college but had never felt comfortable there. She told the harpy that she had been travelling to find Will when she had died. She told of the promise made to her and Will by the angels and how she had never in her wildest dreams thought that they would lie to her, that she had trusted them. She spoke of the hatred of the Angels that had lied to her, and how it still burned her up inside like a fire that refused to go out. At the end of her story she looked up and saw the old harpy crying, two solitary tears slipping down her cheeks to wet the ground in the world of the dead. It was a feat that had never once been seen in any world before that date, and was likely never to be repeated.

Dawn heard a song coming from across the open plane of the world of the dead, she recognised the voice and son, and wished to meet the person it belonged to. As she came closer a young woman who's age it was impossible to tell looked up from under the tree she was sitting and waved to Dawn.

"Come sit down, you look dead tired on your feet." She shifted over and made space beside her so Dawn could sit. "What do you think of my song huh? Not too bad for someone who's only sung it once before, is it. Oh go on, you gotta be honest with me, I gotta know so I can improve."

"It was beautiful." Dawn sighed. "I almost feel like I've heard you sing before, that song too."

"Could be. The girl grinned cheekily. "I guess it's just something to do with how good my voice is." and Dawn found herself joining in with her happy and relaxed laughter.

"So you _were_ the singer?" Dawn asked, and the woman smiled warmly at the fourteen year old girl who reminded her so much of herself at that age.

"Yes." She replied. "I was singing for my one and only darling who I found I would have a chance to meet. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted to thank you." Dawn replied, in awe and wonder that she had finally met the singer of the voice who had influenced the last few months of her life. "For helping me to realise how I felt for Myst, and finally making an effort instead of being to shy to act on my instincts." The young woman reached out and took her hand.

"I'm glad I was of assistance." She replied, and Dawn finally realised that this girl wasn't that much older than herself, maybe seventeen at the oldest. "I didn't realise what that song would do. Until I set out to find Will, the morning you would have heard me, I had never sung it properly before. Oh it feels such a long time, how long was it?"

"Only three months. It took me a full month to sort things out with Terry, and then the accident happened only a little while later. I think I wish I had longer to enjoy Myst's company." She squeezed the hand beside her; realising that this young woman was the only person she had trusted enough to tell the whole story to. She suddenly realised she didn't know the woman's name and turned to ask her, but was cut off before she had the chance.

"You want to know my name." The woman said. "Don't worry, I'm not mad or anything, you've just spilled the story of your last few months of life, it's only natural that you would want to know my name."

"Well."

"I have many names." She began. "My first is Lyra Belaqua, daughter of Lord Asriel and of Miss Coulter, as it was the name I was born with. My second is Lyra Silvertongue, given to me by Iorick Briorson, king of the Armoured Bears when I returned him to his rightful place as king of Svalbard. My third is Witch, because of my power to separate by my daemon. My fourth is sister, given to me by the witch queen Serifina Peccala when we travelled together between worlds when I was but thirteen. My final is Eve, for the name of my destiny as the new Eve on earth." Dawn frowned, she enjoyed talking to this person, but she has to admit that she was slightly confusing.

"So you're saying you're some type of God then?" She asked, and Lyra shook her head.

"Hardly. I've never been a God and I never want to be a God. It sounds mighty boring. And anyway, what's the point." Dawn noted the pain in her voice, but chanced one more question.

"Did you ever find you're long lost love, miss, erm, miss?" Dawn asked, her voice trebling.

"Call me Lyra." The woman replied, tears filling her eyes. "And no, I never met him again. Me and Will were promised a place where we could live together forever without getting sick, but I never found him before I died. I kind of feel I should have realised it wouldn't all feel simple now though. They couldn't just give it to us easily. The only place we can live in harmony is here, where our daemons can't come so can't grow sick and ill." Dawn understood, even though she didn't know what a daemon was.

"I know. You wanted to see Will again but you didn't count on dying first?"

"Exactly." Lyra smiled. "I can tell by your face that you know what I'm feeling. It must be tough for you too. The way you spoke about your love for Myst reflects everything I've been though since leaving Will so many years ago. It's hard Dawn, but it's only going to get easier. Trust me now, I know what I'm saying, and I'm not only saying it to make you feel better. We've a lot too look forward to, both of us." Dawn nodded, and then settled back to listen to Lyra's tale of her life, and the love she and Will had shared, and her daemons in her world, and her and Will's travels together.

"Mister Parry. You made it down then." The young William Parry nodded his head, and then looked up in shock, realising that he was no longer tired and sad, and no longer felt the painful loss of Kirjava.

"What the?" Then, "Gracious Wings?" he asked, as he caught sight of one of the faces he had kept dear to him throughout his old age.

"William Parry. After all these years, yes. You are the same person, but you have aged. Although the world of the dead changes us all back to a child I can tell that you still feel old in your heart. I can see things, you bleed for your lost love, do you not."

"Yes, I'm not able to deny it. My heart has bled these last years since I realised that Lyra was never coming to find me. I missed her so much Gracious Wings, I though she would at least have spoken to me on Mid Summers, even if she didn't want to see me again."

"Don't feel against her Will, for the we've listened to her moaning and watched her tears for not being able to go to you for a good long time now. Although she never grew old, and often lost the hope that you would ever make it down here, she would never go on. Your true story is all we ask, and then we will take you to her."

Will straightened his back, and looked up at Gracious Wings.

"Thank you." He whispered, and then began to tell his story, and a story of greater courage and wisdom had not been heard in the world of the dead for many years. And it was matched only by the tale of the child Lyra Silvertongue, who's destiny as the young Eve sent her to so many places. He told of many things in his life, of all the years he had spent dreaming of Lyra and all the work that he had put into building the republic of heaven. He smiled as he described his ex girlfriend Lydia, who had turned against him when she found the truth about Lyra, and of how he and Mary had travelled together until the time when he got the knife forged and Mary decided travelling wasn't for her. At the mention of Mary Malone the harpies around them smiled.

"She mentioned you," one particular Harpy said. "She stayed here for many weeks recounting the stories of you to Lyra, but in the end the call of her daemon forced her to go on out of our world and into the great beyond. She was sad to leave Lyra, but she said to promise you both that she would be waiting for you when you chose to go up."

Will fell silent at that for he didn't know that Mary Malone had passed away, but the harpies understood, and Gracious Wings flew above him and spoke gently.

"Come, William Parry. Your story has satisfied our needs, and I'm sure you want to see our daughter as much as she wants to see you." with that she flew of into the distance and Will followed her, struggling to keep up. The thoughts in his head were blinding him, and he wished with all his heart that he could hear the story of Mary's life, of how she had died in the short three months since she had left him. As he passed through the nothingness of the world of the dead he looked around him, and saw not the sadness and silence that he had once seen here, but joy and happiness unmatched by anything on earth. Gracious Wings was accompanying him and helping him to find the right direction so he asked her what had changed in the world of the dead to make it such a happy place. She smiled down at him, and replied softly.

"It was you. You and Lyra changed this place, and we thank you." Will smiled up at her. He was tempted to stop and talk to the people around him who seemed so relaxed and happy, but he felt the call of Lyra and his daemon and moved forwards, always forward. Until, finally, he came over a ridge and below him was the face of Lyra the woman he loved sitting with a young girl and talking earnestly to her, about what he could not tell. She looked up, saw him above her, and then got up and ran towards him, falling into his arms as she reached him and holding him tighter than she ever thought possible. She turned and waved to Dawn, pulling her up to introduce her to the man she loved.

"Dawn, this is Will." She explained. "The man I told you about." She looked up at his face lovingly and he took her hand.

"Will, this is Dawn." She told him. "We helped her to find her love." Will nodded, amazed that here was someone who was effected by the love he had for Lyra.

"Are we going to go up then?" Asked Will. "The angels said we could live in harmony in some world, but I never found that place." Lyra and Dawn shared a glance, and then Dawn spoke as they had arranged, shy around this person who she had heard so much about.

"Me and Lyra discussed it." She whispered. "And it makes sense if you think, that neither of you can grow sick here, than maybe this was the place the angels spoke of." She looked up and Will and saw a glint of understanding in his eyes.

"Yes." He whispered. "It all makes perfect sense now. This is the world we can live in harmony, because this is the world where everyone can live in Harmony." Then he turned, and took Lyra's hand in his, and she in turn took Dawns hand in hers, and they walked away across the world of the dead, the place where all life forms come together, to start their lives as one once again.

**THE END**

**And finally: a summary of this story in my own words because it's the first long fic I've managed to finish.**

Well I don't think this went too bad really. Okay so it was weird and I should possibly have put in more chapters but I think it was okay.

When I'm writing I always try to have a few main ideas in my head for a story. With this one it was the bit where Lyra sings the song and Will hears and when she meets with Dawn in the world of the dead. The character of Dawn was created knowing that she would die before the end of the story, though I went through several major ideas with how. I settled on the drowning because I thought it would me most likely. For those of you who hate me for killing all the characters at the end I'm sorry. I've spent years trying to work out how there could be a world where they could all live in Harmony and I finally realised how that place was the world of the dead where they couldn't become sick anymore because they were already past sickness and pain. I know it's sad that they never did meet up with their daemons again but that would have been too good to be true and in essence both Pan and Kirjava will always be with them in their memories and their hearts. Daemons are supposed to be part of your soul and I think that even if you do seem to loose them they're still there deep down. My own thoughts about it is that the daemons don't really disappear when you go to the world of the dead, they just go back inside you like where they are in our world and go to sleep.

There were loads of ideas with this and I though everyone would hate it because I don't think my writing is very good. I had a major problem with my confidence at the beginning of chapter four but thankfully I have loads of great people who asked me to continue. I've got to say a special thanks to Rae-Various who reviewed me every chapter and whose reviews were always long and creative and helpful. It's great to get long reviews because they're always so full of advice on how I could make this better. It makes me smile so much. Anyway, I'm going to go now because I'm probably boring you all sick with this. Please don't forget to review this chapter, and it would be much appreciated if you could send me a mail with all what you thought of the full story in it. My e-mail address is open to everyone on my profile page but if you don't want to e-mail then could you do a long review. Thanks for reading, keep inspired. Love and peace, Stargazing Maiden


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